Christmas in Books

Last night I visited a local bookstore. This is a regular occurrence for me as I am a HUGE reader and lover of books, not to mention an author.

I was on a mission for a couple of Christmas themed books.

I picked up two books by a couple of my favorite authors: "A Knights Bridge Christmas" by Carla Neggers and "Christmas in Mustang Creek" by Linda Lael Miller.

I will probably have them both read by the weekend and will need others. What can I say? I love to read!

When you think of Christmas gifts for kids or teenagers or even adults, what do you think of?

Most people think of electronics or clothes, or jewelry, and everything else in between.

What about BOOKS?!

In this day of electronics, we have Kindle and Nook and even phones to read a book. Yes, you could buy someone a giftcard to Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Better yet, you could share a book you loved. Share your joy!

This year I'm giving all of my relatives a book. (Oops! I hope none of them are reading this.) I shared with each of them a copy of a book I enjoyed or an author I love to read. Some of the books are even autographed by the authors. How fun is that?!

Anyway, as I was standing in the checkout line at the bookstore I noticed this bin of books just looking for a home. It was a bin of books that needed a buyer so they could be donated to a child. How can you not give a book to a child? You are not only offering them a Christmas gift, but you're offering them a chance at literacy.

Books make great gifts, super stocking stuffers, and open a new world for a child or adult to see and experience.

Can't afford to buy another book? Got any books on a bookshelf? Then take one off the shelf and to your local coffee shop and leave an already read book behind.

Yes, you read that right. Take a book you've read, add a little note on the inside telling the reader that you left this book so someone else could enjoy it and wish them a Merry Christmas and leave the book.

I do this all the time! If you ever visit Panera in Bedford, NH then you may have spotted a book next to the fireplace at one time or another. As a matter of fact...look for more this weekend.

And as my Twelve Days of Christmas Spirit blog says, let's give ALL YEAR. Share your love of books with others, with total strangers, with someone who maybe can't afford to buy a book. Read and share!

What the contents of your vehicle says about you

What’s inside your vehicle?

I was driving to do my usual Sunday morning breakfast and writing when I glanced around my truck and decided that what’s inside a person’s vehicle must say something about them. So let’s see if that’s true.

Here’s what you’ll find in my truck and in my car:

Safety pins…lots of them. And no, they are not the kind you use on kid diapers. Uh, yeah, these come from all the race bibs I wear and then discard when I get in the truck.

Starbucks coffee cup spill stoppers; you know those green things you stick in the hole of the to go cup so coffee doesn’t spill out.

Dollars. I am a firm believer in being prepared so I always have dollar bills in my car for tolls, plus I do like to pay it forward so I usually pay for the person behind me at the dollar toll.

Music CDs, country. Although there is an Albannach CD so I like superb Celtic music. Audio books. At least two or three and sometimes up to ten in the vehicle.

A book or two. Or more. You could ascertain by these and the audiobooks that I like to read. And if you look close you will see that I like mystery, suspense, and romance. Oh, and in my car you will find copies of my latest novel. So you will know that I am also an author.
A box of Kleenex and a roll of paper towels. Don’t ask…I have no clue why, but the paper towels have definitely come in handy when I’ve spilled so I leave them.

A snow/ice scraper so I guess that means I do not live in the south or in California.

Glasses and sunglasses. Hm…if it were just the sunglasses then it would be all about the sun, but since I have both in the car it means they are prescription glasses and sunglasses.

A can of bug spray. Well, either I’m afraid bugs will get in the car or I tend to take the truck to where I spend time outdoors and don’t want bug bites.

A microfiber cloth. Similar to the paper towels only this one is cuz of the dust that gets in the truck so I use it to wipe the dash.

A pair of running shoes. Filthy dirty. This says I didn’t want to take them inside until they dried out after running the Rugged Maniac obstacle course. Last September.

A box of hand warmers. Another hint that where I live gets cold and probably snow.

A cheap, black windreaker. This pretty much goes along with the safety pins and running shoes. If there is one thing I have learned, it is to always bring a jacket to a race because you just never know what the weather will be.

Burt’s Bees lip balm, the peppermint kind. What do you think? I like kissable lips! What else does this say? I like natural.

A hairbrush. So what do you want, I’m a girl. Besides, sometimes you have to go someplace after a run and you just need to try and make the hair look better even if it’s to make it look better in a ponytail.

Ponytail holders. Along with that hairbrush there are several ponytail holders in various colors of the rainbow. When I run I wear my hair up and usually under a hat. But I love the colorful bands that hold the hair up.

Aside from the obligatory registration and insurance information, what is inside your vehicle?

Readers! Give to our Heroes and get a book

A year ago I did this event called Give a book, get a book. It was successful and we sent hundreds of books to our active military stationed overseas.

Now, I want to do something to thank our returning heroes, our Veterans. In particular, I am running to raise funds for an organization called Heroes Project who help Veterans with PTSD by getting them active again, by helping to provide them with workout equipment and gym fees, and more.

Since I'm also an author and I have some books sitting in a cupboard I thought, "Why not give a book for a donation?"

So, here I am asking you to spread the word and to help. If you haven't read one of my books, but would like to, or have a friend who hasn't read one of my books now is the time.

I have 15 copies of KILLER BUNNY HILL, 5 copies of CONNECT THE DOTS, and 5 copies of PHISH NET STALKINGS.

For every $25 or more donation you make to my Run for Heroes page then send me a comment I will send you one of the above books at my own cost.

If you want a particular book or want it signed to someone just leave that in the comment.

It's simple. Make a donation to thank our heroes at the link above, leave me a comment that you did so, tell me which book you want and voila!

As soon as I confirm the donation the book will be in the mail. Thank you for your support for our American Heroes!

This offer is good only until I run out of the books listed above.

What's on your Dewey Read-a-thon reading list?

Yesterday, I introduced you to the Dewey 24-hour Read-a-thon and encouraged you to sign up. Now that you've done that. . .and I know you have. It's time to think reading list.

Do you have a To Be Read pile? Go ahead, pick them up an move them next to your favorite chair.

This is a perfect opportunity to read a backlist of your favorite author so stop by the used bookstore and grab a handful of books.

If you're not sure what to read, click the link as Dewey Read-a-thon has recommendations. Anything goes. You can read comic books, children's books, fiction, non-fiction, even listen to audio books. It all counts. Just read!

Me?

I am doing a mixed bag of books this time. I've got a couple of backlist books tat have been on a shelf for months. They should be short and sweet and romantic. Then I'll move into a few romantic suspense books by some of my favorite authors.

On my list is:

Legacy by Jayne Ann Krentz
The Pirate by Jayne Ann Krentz
Faces of a Clown by Stella Cameron
Going Once by Sharon Sala
Bougaivillea by Heather Graham
Shelter Island by Carla Neggers
Capsized by Sharon Sala

If I finish those then I've got two historical romances in the wings waiting for me:

Brave the Wild Wind by Johanna Lindsey
Savage Thunder by Johanna Lindsey

In case my eyes need a break, I have JD Robb's latest novel, Thankful in Death in audio book.

What's on your list?

Are you ready for the Dewey 24 hour Read-a-thon?

Have you signed up for the Dewey Read-a-thon? It's this Saturday, October 12. Hurry up!

Twice a year the Dewey Read-a-thon is put on and twice a year I sign up. You should too!

Got a large TO BE READ pile of books? Been wanting to read a really good book, but just haven't had the opportunity? Have a New Years' resolution to read a certain number of books or to read more?

Now is the time! Sign up for the Read-a-thon and make the time to read.

What is the Dewey Read-a-thon?

The Dewey Read-a-thon is a reading challenge. For 24 hours! For 24 hours you read books, post in blogs about your reading, and visit other readers’ blogs. You also participate in mini-challenges throughout the day and win prizes.

It is 24 hours of self-indulgence. Sit in your favorite chair, under a nice cozy blanket and read. Or find a booth in your favorite café, with a cup of java and read. Since the read-a-thon is for 24 hours don't forget to pack up on the snacks and caffeine to keep you going.

Speaking of keeping you going...If you can't spare the time to read then why not participate in the read-a-thon as a cheerleader and egg those of us that are crazy enough to do it on? Sign up as a Cheerleader.

Help promote reading! Sign up, tell your friends and your relatives and have them sign up. Make an event out of the event.

But most of all...READ!!

Tell us what you're reading

This week I am reading an historical romance and a mystery. I'm continuing to read historical romances by Johanna Lindsey on my Kindle. This week, I'm reading The Pursuit.

Blurb: What was to be a grand adventure for Melissa MacGregor an escape from the wilds of her Scottish home into the whirl of the London social scene--seems to pale before the promise in the passionate gaze of Lincoln Ross Burnett. Though they exchange but a few words before parting after a chance encounter on her grandfather's lands, Melissa instantly knows this bold stranger is her destiny, while Lincoln realizes his heart has been claimed forever and he will never be complete until Melissa MacGregor is his bride.

But there are serious obstacles impeding the well-smitten Viscount Cambury's pursuit of glorious romance: sixteen of them--all big and brawny, six named Ian and all named MacFearson. The bane of Lincoln's Youth, Melissa's stifling, disapproving uncles are now determined to rob him of his newfound happiness. Yet he is equally resolved to confront the peril--and to pursue his exquisite obsession all the way to London... and to the ends of the earth, if necessary.

For the mysterious side of my nature, I am listening on audiobook in my morning commute to The Bone Bed by Patricia Cornwell. Who doesn't love a medical examiner?

Blurb: A woman has vanished while digging a dinosaur bone bed in the remote wilderness of Canada. Somehow, the only evidence has made its way to the inbox of Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta, over two thousand miles away in Boston. She has no idea why.

But as events unfold with alarming speed, Scarpetta begins to suspect that the paleontologist’s disappearance is connected to a series of crimes much closer to home: a gruesome murder, inexplicable tortures, and trace evidence from the last living creatures of the dinosaur age.

When she turns to those around her, Scarpetta finds that the danger and suspicion have penetrated even her closest circles. Her niece Lucy speaks in riddles. Her lead investigator, Pete Marino, and FBI forensic psychologist and husband, Benton Wesley, have secrets of their own. Feeling alone and betrayed, Scarpetta is tempted by someone from her past as she tracks a killer both cunning and cruel.


What are you reading this week?

An author without a publisher

What’s a girl to do?

Due to the recent death of our publisher, Linda, her partner in the publishing company has decided to shut the doors on L&L Dreamspell. Amidst all the grieving that all of us are experiencing we have to decide what to do with our manuscripts. All rights have been reverted to me, including my sixth novel (At Face Value) that had yet to be printed.

I’m extremely saddened over the death of a friend and now have to grieve over the loss of publishing company that cared for its authors. Where else could you offer the publisher a bunch of chocolate if she printed your book a month earlier than planned? Who else would call you out of the blue just because you fell off the face of the earth for a month? Lisa and Linda took such amazing care of us and our books from the words to the covers, to the moral support and guidance. Even now, Lisa is focusing on her dream team of authors and making sure they get what they need to make their decisions and move forward.

So here I am, without a publisher and I have no clue what to do. I, for one, never thought I would be here. Here I am, asking, “What do I do?”

Should I submit to other publishers? Do I look for an agent? Or do I take a gigantic leap and self-publish?

If I submit to other publishers or an agent, do I submit only the book that hasn’t been put in print yet? Do I mention the other five books that now need an avenue to get to readers? Are there any publishers or agents that you think might best fit me and my romantic-suspense genre?

If I go self-pubbed is that riskier than traditional publishing? What is all the work I would have to do myself? And do you as a reader like to read self-published?

My biggest issue is making sure that the books are available in both print and ebook format.

In the back of my mind, as difficult as this situation is, and when I get past all the tears, I think this is an impetus to push me.  It’s a sign. Here is an opportunity to take the bull by its horns and turn my writing career into what I want. The question is, “How?”

Whether you are a reader, a writer, blogger, etc., what are your thoughts?

Wondering what you're reading Wednesday?

It's Wednesday and I'm wondering what you are reading? Share with us the title, the author, and what you like about the book. Are you reading the book via paperback, hardback, Kindle, Nook, or maybe an audiobook.

I'm reading The Mystery Woman by Amanda Quick on my Kindle.

Here's the book blurb:

Show more

Show less

Under the plain gray skirts of Miss Beatrice Lockwood’s gown, a pistol waits at the ready. For Beatrice is a paid companion on a secret mission—and with a secret past—and she must be prepared to fight for her life at any moment.

 

Yet she is thrown oddly off guard by the fierce-looking man who joins her in foiling a crime outside a fancy ball—and then disappears into the shadows, leaving only his card. His name is Joshua Gage, and he claims to know Beatrice’s employers. Beyond that, he is an enigma with a hypnotically calm voice and an ebony-and-steel cane. . .

 

Joshua, who carries out clandestine investigations for the Crown, is equally intrigued. He has a personal interest in Miss Lockwood, a suspected thief and murderer, not to mention a fraudster who claims to have psychical powers. The quest to discover her whereabouts has pulled him away from his mournful impulses to hurl himself into the sea—and engaged his curiosity about the real Beatrice Lockwood, whose spirit, he suspects, is not as delicate as her face and figure.

He does know one thing, though: This flame-haired beauty was present the night Roland Fleming died at the Academy of the Occult. Guilty or not, she is his guide to a trail of blood and blackmail, mesmerism and madness—a path that will lead both of them into the clutches of a killer who calls himself the Bone Man. . . .

I'm also listening to John Sandford's latest novel, Silken Prey. I love the Minnesota based stories! I've read every one of them.

Here's the book blurb:

Murder, scandal, political espionage, and an extremely dangerous woman. Lucas Davenport’s going to be lucky to get out of this one alive.
Very early one morning, a Minnesota political fixer answers his doorbell. The next thing he knows, he’s waking up on the floor of a moving car, lying on a plastic sheet, his body wet with blood. When the car stops, a voice says, “Hey, I think he’s breathing,” and another voice says, “Yeah? Give me the bat.” And that’s the last thing he knows.

Davenport is investigating another case when the trail leads to the man’s disappearance, then—very troublingly—to the Minneapolis police department, then—most troublingly of all—to a woman who could give Machiavelli lessons. She has very definite ideas about the way the world should work, and the money, ruthlessness, and sheer will to make it happen.

No matter who gets in the way.

The end is near

The end of the Dewey 24-hour Read-a-thon is near. Way to go!!

How'd you do? Did you stay awake? What snacks or exercises helped you do it?

My last book for this read-a-thon is Dangerous Refuge by Elizabeth Lowell.

Here is a little about the book:

On the surface Shaye Townsend has little in common with Tanner. He's a hard-edged big city cop come home to the historic Davis family ranch to settle his uncle's estate. She's working for an environmental conservancy that acquires and protects old ranches—and she wants to preserve the Davis homestead.

When the suspicious death of Tanner's uncle at his ranch throws the two opposites together, tempers flare and sparks fly. While they have trouble seeing eye to eye, Shaye and Tanner agree on one thing: They need to uncover the truth.

Combining their unique skills—Shaye's low-key approach and local connections and Tanner's experience as a homicide detective—the unlikely pair share long nights in the pursuit of justice. Before they know it, the friction they generate turns to heat, igniting a love neither ever expected to find.

They believe passion this intense cannot last. But when Shaye becomes a killer's target, Tanner realizes he'd give up anything to protect her—including his life.

At Face Value has a voice

I haven't been this excited since last...uh, well, that's too much information. Suffice it to say, I am extremely excited about my new novel, At Face Value, and the voice spot my friend, fellow runner, Disney fanatic, and radio personality, Heather Bishop put together for the book.
Listen to the voice spot for At Face Value on YouTube.


You can hear more from Heather Bishop weekdays from 10 AM to 3 PM on WZID (95.7).

Thank you, Heather for lending me your talent and voice. The ad makes me want to go out and buy the book and I wrote it!

Last book shut on another Dewey 24-hr Read-a-thon

I did it!

Almost twenty-four hours have passed and I managed to stay awake. Well, I may have nodded a few times here and there, but that's why they invented caffeine...Just for all-nighters.

I enjoyed every single book!

Thank you to the cheerleaders who sent out tweets or shot blog messages of encouragement. Much appreciated! See you next time!!

Now what I need is more caffeine. GASP! Yup, I know it sounds so terrible, but I am not a girl who can sleep once the sun comes up. So I am headed out for my Sunday morning Mountain Dew and Panera cinnamon roll. I'm sure I look like something the cat dragged in but, nothing that a baggy sweatshirt and a baseball hat won't hide.

And while I'm at it, I may actually write a little in my new novel. Nothing like a lot of reading to inspire a little writing.

I hope this Dewey 24-hr Read-a-thon has inspired you in some way. I hope it has helped spread the idea of more people should read and not just while they are on their summer vacation or on the toilet in the morning. Rading is good. It opens the mind and the heart, and let's you go places you haven't even imagined or learn something you may never have heard about.

Reading is fun!

My last book was another of Linda Lael Miller's McKettrick stories. This one was MecKettrick Lucky.

A little about the book: A classic tale of a new generation of cowboys staking claims to their land—and the women they love…

Like his celebrated ancestors, who tamed the wilds of Arizona, Jesse McKettrick's Indian Rock ties run deep. The Triple M Ranch is in his blood, along with the thrill of risk. But with his land at stake, this world-class poker player won't be dealt into Cheyenne Bridges's gamble—despite the temptation she brings.

Cheyenne grew up in Indian Rock and left its painful memories behind to become a self-made woman. Now her job is to convince Jesse to sell his property. Jesse's not the kind of man Cheyenne could ever forget, but he's too wild and dangerous for a woman committed to playing it safe. Yet sparks of attraction fly, tempting Cheyenne to lay it all on the line for the passion she sees in Jesse's eyes.

Dewey 24-hr Read-a-thon first six hours

Hello all you readers! I hope you are enjoying a beautiful day to sit outside and read. I know I am.

Yup. Me, a cold beer, and a good book all sitting on my deck beneath the umbrella.

I'm working on finishing Invasion of Privacy by Perri O'Shaughnessy. A great read!

A little about the book: Twelve years ago, a young girl disappeared. Now a filmmaker has made a movie about it. The girl's parents call it invasion of privacy. A woman lawyer calls it murder.

The bloodstains on the courtroom floor belong to attorney Nina Reilly. Months earlier she'd been shot during a heated murder trial. She should have died that day. Instead, Nina has returned to the same Lake Tahoe court. Her only concession to her lingering fear is to give up criminal law. She figures an invasion of privacy lawsuit is a nice, safe civil action that will help her support her young son and pay the bills for her one-woman law office. She figures wrong.

Nina's client is Terry London, a filmmaker whose documentary about a missing girl is raising disturbing questions. The girl's distraught parents believe the film invades their privacy. But Terry's brutal murder changes everything. Breaking her promise to herself, Nina decides to defend Terry's accused murderer, a man she'd known years before and hoped never to see again. Suddenly the secrets of Nina's past are beginning to surface in a murder case that gets more dangerous every day. The evidence against her client is shocking and ironclad--a video of Terry's dying words. The only chance Nina has to save the man may be illegal. And if it fails, Nina may lose the case, her practice...and even her life.

Next up is a free Kindle read by Jayne Ann Krentz. If you read her Arcane Society novels then you have to get this novella.

About the book: Chilling paranormal suspense in a small California town—by the New York Times bestselling author of the Arcane Society novels!

As the director at Jones & Jones, a psychical investigation agency, Fallon Jones solves crimes of a different nature. Jones’s latest case involves a body found in the basement vault of a local bookstore, and scratchings on the inside of the door that seem to be a coded message, in this novella by Jayne Ann Krentz, New York Times bestselling author of In Too Deep and the Arcane Society novels.

Valentine's Day Giveaway

The best way to celebrate Valentine's Day is to show the people you love how much you care.

I care about you, the readers.

To show my readers how much I appreciate them and to celebrate the release of my latest novel I'm giving away a copy of Phish NET Stalkings.

GASP! Yea!!

To enter the giveaway is easy. Find out who my latest novel, Phish NET Stalkings, is dedicated to. Leave the name of the person in your comment along with your email.

The winner will be selected at random from the participants who leave the correct name of my dedicatee. Is that a word? Hm...I'm a writer so if not I'll make it up.

Go now and find the name of the person who I dedicated Phish NET Stalkings to and report back to enter to win a free copy of Phish NET Stalkings.

Good luck and Happy Valentine's Day

Honorable mention by local radio talent

What a way to get a smile on my face!

This afternon while working I received a message from local radio host Heather Bishop-Dumka telling me she gave me some love.

In the article link, Heather is interviewed fo the UUnion Leader's Top 40 under 40. It's a great article about a terrific, lady, mother, radio personality, and humanitarian. Read the article That midday voice on the radio might belong to WZID's Heather Bishop-Dumka

On the left-hand portion of the article you get to learn a few more personal things about Heather AND how she is reading my book, KILLER BUNNY HILL.

Terrific article, Heather!! Thanks much for the mention. I'll have to make sure you get a copy of PHISH NET STALKINGS when I get it in my hands.

Phish NET Stalkings available on ebook

All Jane wanted was to find love. Was that too much to ask?

How difficult could it be to find one man, the perfect man for her? After dating the losers of the century, Jane decides there has to be a better way. She turns to an online dating service. After all, they guarantee a ‘happily ever after’ or your money back.

Jane East, CEO of Not-So-Plain-Jane’s organic cosmetics wants to fall in love with a man who makes her toes curl when he kisses her. Unfortunately, the one man who makes her toes curl also wears ladies’ pink underwear and a badge. The pink underwear she could probably deal with, but the badge is a different story.

Ever since seeing her mother and granny Pearl murdered by men with badges, Jane has a fear of cops and anyone who carries a badge. Especially, because the killers are still on the loose and searching for her.

Former FBI Cybercrime special agent turned small-town Chief of Police, Cooper Chance, gets caught with his pants down and his family jewels tucked in pink ladies’ underwear with lacy frills when he meets the woman of his dreams. That’s not his only issue. The woman has a fear of cops. If he can get past her guard, maybe he can save her life.

The ebook is out now and available at:

www.allromancebooks.com

www.amazon.com

Phish NET Stalkings will be available at Barnes & Noble and in print soon!!

It's here! The cover for Phish NET Stalkings is here!

The cover to my latest techno-romantic thriller has just arrived!

Look at those legs!

I want to meet the guy who posed for that picture.

Yes, I said guy.

HA! You had to do a double-take didn't you? Don't feel bad so did I.

I'm waiting on a release date, but hope it will be soon.

Writer's Chatroom - Talking Writing and Books

Join me Sunday, January 15, 2012 between 7 to 9 PM at Writer's Chatroom to talk about writing and books.

There will be a gab session and a giveaway!

Stop by, ask some questions, and just have fun. There's no registration necessary. Just hop on in and chat.

Click here to join me Writer's Chatroom.


Writer's Digest voted Writer's Chatroom one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers for the 5th time.

Preditors and Editors voted Writer's Chatroom #1 Best Writing Resource.

What will you read first in 2012?

While many of you are recuperating from last night's over-indulgence with ice packs, burying your heads in the pillows, or hair of the dog, I will be doing my first run of 2012. If I survive the 1st Run 5K I will be crashing at the house later and cracking open a book by one of my favorite authors, Carla Neggers.


I am kicking off my 2012 reading list with Saint's Gate by Carla Neggers.

Blurb: When Emma Sharpe is summoned to a convent on the Maine coast, it’s partly for her art crimes work with the FBI, partly because of her past with the religious order. At issue is a mysterious painting depicting scenes of Irish lore and Viking legends, and her family’s connection to the work. But when the nun who contacted her is murdered, it seems legend is becoming deadly reality.

Colin Donovan is one of the FBI’s most valuable assets—a deep-cover agent who prefers to go it alone. He’s back home in Maine after wrapping up his latest mission, but his friend Father Bracken presents him with an intrigue of murder, international art heists and a convent’s long-held secrets that is too tempting to resist. So is Emma Sharpe. As the danger spirals ever closer, Colin’s certain of only one thing—Emma is at the center of it all.

A ruthless killer has Emma and Colin in the crosshairs, plunging them into a race against time and drawing them deeper into a twisted legacy of betrayal and deceit.


What are you reading first?

Last book to be read in 2011

What book are you ending the 2011 year reading?

I read a lot of holiday books right before Christmas. With the end of the year only three days away I decided to end 2011 reading a romantic book by Suzanne Brockmann. It's actually a re-issue that I have never read. GASP! I can't believe I missed a novel by Suzanne.

My last read of the year will be Future Perfect by Suzanne Brockmann.

Blurb: Dressed in Victorian attire, Juliana Anderson gives guests at her cozy New England bed and breakfast a taste of old fashioned hospitality. Whether she’s cooking up delights in her kitchen or maintaining the rooms in her beautifully decorated inn, Juliana stays busy and content. Until Webster Donovan arrives—tall, rugged, and sexy beyond belief.

The lean, dark-haired author (with awesome abs -- see cover art above! ) has a bad case of writer’s block and he’s planned a six-week stay to cure it. But this beautiful woman is proving even more distracting to the cause. For prim, polite Juliana has a wild side: she rides a Harley and hides a troubled past. The moment Webster watched her take off her motorcycle helmet and shake loose those long, flame-haired curls, he found his muse—and lost his heart. But can romance with a woman afraid to trust in love last longer than a moment in time?

Last three hours of the Dewey Read-a-thon

As I enter the last three hours, Mm eyelids feel like led weights are attached to the eyelashes and they are drooping dangerously close to tiny slits. Caffeine is no longer helping.

Jumping jacks, touch your toes, or in my case step outside on the porch for a bite of crisp fall air. That'll wake you up and get you motivated.

On to what will probably be my last book this this read-a-thon. I'm reading The Welcoming by Nora Roberts.

Blurb: He came to the seaside inn with only the clothes on his back and a loaded .38 revolver. His orders: expose a criminal organization based at the quaint vacation hideaway. It was just another assignment for Roman DeWinter. Routing, simple, uncomplicated. He didn't expect to fall for his key suspect, innkeeper Charity Ford.

Charity knew Roman was different. His gaze smoldered with angry passion, arousing a dangerous fascination. His mere presence made her most forbidden desires come alive. Still, Charity knew so little about him, and it put her on edge. Was this stranger a threat to her happiness. . . or the man she'd been waiting a lifetime to welcome?