What I'm Reading

I have a few friends helping and urging me through the process of writing my current book, and one of the suggestions I was given was to read a few different authors to get a feel for the level of sensuality I might feel comfortable in writing. It has been a while since I have written a contemporary romance, and I am happy to be getting back to my roots.

One of the authors suggested to me was Shannon Stacey and her Kowalski series. I just finished Exclusively Yours, book one in the series starring Joe Kowalski. I am glad this series was recommended to me . . . for a number of reasons. Not only to get a feel for the level of sensuality in the books, but it also offers great lessons in how to craft a series. I look forward to reading about the next brother in the Kowalski family!

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

I like books that take place in educational settings, and was interested in Testimony by Anita Shreve the moment I picked up the book and read the dust jacket. This chilling, haunting story of bad decisions and their consequences had me turning the pages.

In working with college students, I can see an infinite number of possibilities for disaster. Every decision we make matters, and sometimes youth or ennui or excess can nudge us into questionable circumstances. Testimony is a book that, when you read it, makes you thank your lucky stars for every prudent decision you've made and for every time that luck has landed on your side.

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

I just finished Sass and Serendipity by Jennifer Ziegler. I loved her book, How Not To Be Popular, and thought this one would be a good one to try. I did like it, but not as much. The subject matter is a little sadder and perhaps a bit more difficult. It is still a good read, but I think my expectations were too high after loving HNTBP so much. I would recommend both books, however! And I must say, I think this cover is dazzling.

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

I was so excited to get Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter as a Christmas gift but I had been having so much fun reading the books on my Kindle that I hadn't had the chance to crack it yet. I read the first in the series, Heist Society, and thought the high concept was just so utterly brilliant, I raced through the reading of the book. Hale is one of my favorite male characters - from YA or adult fiction - and it was nice to see him again. This book felt different from the first one, though the heist was just as intriguing and the story as interesting. I can't wait to see what Ally comes up with next.

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

Well, I have done it. I have finally caught up to Marie Force and read the latest McCarthy book to hit the downloads. Falling for Love has Grant McCarthy stranded on the island with an unexpected love interest thanks to a raging tropical storm. And the storm isn't the only thing that's raging. In Falling we meet a few new characters and get to know a few recurring folks a little bit more. Definitely more fodder for future books! I think Evan's book is next, and I can't wait. Oh, the withdrawal!

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

Back to Gansett I go for book 3 in the series: Ready for Love. I love this island series by Marie Force. I have been so inspired by Marie's hard work and the stories she tells. This was another cant-put-down book, and it is hard to fight to urge to want to rush through to the end to see what happens!

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

Is there anything more satisfying than seeing a friend make her dreams come true? It happened this month for my fellow Moody Muse, Cathryn Parry, when her first book, Something to Prove, hit the shelves in early January. Cathryn had been at this for nearly two decades, and finally - FINALLY - all her hard work has paid off. A handsome skier, the Italian Alps, a heroine to root for . . . all make Something to Prove not only a great debut, but a great romance! Congratulations, my friend!

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

Marie Force knows romance! I just finished book 2 in her McCarthys of Gansett Island series, Fool for Love, which is Joe and Janey's story. I just loved it. Marie has such a great talent for introducing secondary characters, and weaving all the story threads in such a way that you not only get the happy, satisfying ending for the hero and heroine, but the ending leaves you wanting more and seeing what's next. Can't wait for book 3 - Luke and Sydney's story. Her books make me wish Gansett wasn't a fictional place!

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

In keeping with my new Kindle love, I have also been keeping with reading books by my successful self-published friend, Marie Force. We have talked so often of the McCarthys of Gansett Island that I was very eager to get started on the first in the series, Maid for Love. And yes, I was hooked, and yes I have read them all much more quickly than I would have liked. As with any great series of books readers can make their way through them much faster than the author can write them. The McCarthys are no exception. You'll see in my next few entries that I have all the released McCarthy books read and archived in my Kindle. Hooray for Mac and Maddie. Up next: Janey and Joe.

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

I took a dip back in the YA pool to read a book that has been in my TBR pile for forever. I am so happy to have finally had the chance to read E. Lockhart's The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. I love stories set against the private school backdrop and I enjoy smart, spunky heroines. Frankie is one who both wants to shake things up and fit in at the same time. It is an interesting read about legacies and privilege and how things don't always turn out the way you want them to.

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

My Kindle has me thinking all things Marie Force these days, so my next ebook was none other than The Fall. Loved it! The excerpt at the back of True North hooked me right away, and it seemed like the right next book in my Marie progression. Marie makes the writing look so easy, and as I try to start my next new book in this new year, I am reminded how good writing is anything but easy. Marie has worked so hard to create these books and I am so glad I now have the right apparatus on which to read them.

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

The boyfriend got me a Kindle for Christmas and I admit that I have been very slow to come around to this kind of reading experience. But, as more of my friends as well as other authors are opting for the independent publishing route, I am more open to giving the Kindle a try. Needless to say, I was so excited when the boyfriend showed up with a Kindle for me this holiday season. My first Kindle read was written by my friend, Marie Force entitled, True North. And it's funny that around Christmas time a year ago she and I had met for lunch and she mentioned that she had started seriously thinking about putting her work out there on her own. As she has said many times, rejection has been her friend. Without it, she would not have opted to publish her books herself, she would not have amassed as much success, and she would not have gotten so many good books into the hands of her readers . . . who constantly clamor for more. I loved True North (yes, there are readers who want to read about a supermodel looking for love) and am so happy she took the chance and put her work out there in what was, a year ago, a very unconventional distribution method. Now she is one of the leaders on this new frontier and I wish her continued success!

xoxo,
bex

What I'm Reading

I limited the boyfriend to buying me just one book for Christmas this year. He likes to find me books that are outside my normal reading area, which is great because I do enjoy doing that but it's hard, too, when there are so many new books in my genre that I want to read to stay current of what is being published in the area where I want to be. I just don't have enough time to read as much as I want to! So this year's book was The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown, which was a decent pick since the book is about three sisters raised by an academic and his wife in a college town - all of whom almost always have their noses in a book. What's not to like about a family of readers? There is more to the story than that, of course. When the mother falls ill, the book hits a little close to home so there were some issues in the book that felt very personal to me and were, at times, tough for me to wrestle with. All in all though, I enjoyed the book and think the boyfriend did a good job with his gift selection. Unless, of course, there is some subliminal meaning in the title. My sister and I aren't weird at all!

xoxo,
bex

What I'm Reading

I am reading more romance and women's fiction these days, though over the Christmas break I hope to get back to some YA. In the meantime, I found a book by one of the authors I first started reading way back when, Jude Deveraux. This one was a contemporary romance set in a small town in Virginia - a book in a series that takes place in Edilean. Scarlet Nights lacked some of the sweeping aspects that I remember from some of her earlier books, but I still liked the story. Romance, intrigue, a little mystery, and some contemporary Scottish heroes in kilts . . . there is a lot to recommend this book!

xoxo,
bex

What I'm Reading

I recently had the chance to read The Flirt by Kathleen Tessaro. When I opened it, I had no idea what to expect but as the story evolved I couldn't put the book down. What I loved most about the book was the ensemble idea of it, almost like the movies, Love, Actually, Valentine's Day, or New Year's Eve. I marveled at how she introduced all the characters, kept all those balls juggling throughout the book, and gave them all a satisfying ending. I loved it, and, as a writer, would love to try to write a similarly structured story. Some day.

xoxo,
bex

What I'm Reading

In between all the rushing and wrapping and schlepping I still fit in some time for reading, and was delighted to be able to read Kristan Higgins' latest, Until There Was You. It was one of her usual funny and quirky reads, and delved into the many kinds of family relationships. The book felt whole to me, which is a difficult achievement for writers to evoke. I really liked the book - it's now my second favorite of hers (second to Too Good To Be True - it'll be hard to surpass that one, I'm afraid!).

xoxo,
bex

What I'm Reading

Well, I finally left the islands and jumped into reading a book that takes place around Christmas. Bed and Breakfast by Lois Battle. It takes place in South Carolina and there are a few authors I gravitate towards simply because they truly are Southern writers, writing in that Southern voice, and writing about places I would love to visit. The fact that Bed and Breakfast takes place over the holidays made for a timely read. And if you have family drama with your holidays, you might find some familiar tension in this book.

I must admit, I was pretty taken with the cover of the book and it is what drew me to try it out. Jane Porter recently had a talk about book covers on her blog... either head on over there and chat about it or let me know your thoughts. Do covers make a difference when you're buying books?

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

I love reading books by Anne Rivers Siddons. There are such emotional undercurrents in all of her books and a deepness that often brings tears to my eyes when I read her. She has a lyrical quality to her prose and I can't help but be sucked in to each story. In the past year I saw her book, Up Island, at my local bookstore and felt that I had to have it - it's set on Martha's Vineyard, a place I love, and it was great to, again, be transported to an island. Funny thing is that I saw the book jacket, read the cover blurb, and didn't realize it was a reissue. It wasn't until I got to a certain point in chapter one that I remembered that I had actually read it before. One scene had stayed with me all these years, but I had forgotten how it ended . . . so I read it again! I am so glad I did - it is always a great reading experience when you are confronted with such good writing.

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

Being obsessed with beach reads and the island of Nantucket, even now with winter threatening, I jumped at the chance to purchase Nancy Thayer's Beachcombers when I saw it at a used book sale. As always, I loved being transported to that magical place. It is a story about family, sisters in particular, and I loved nearly all of the characters and was eager to find out what would happen to them. They all experience some sense of love and loss, and it's about rebounding when life knocks you down. I don't doubt that Nantucket has all the healing properties that this book portends.

xoxo,

bex

What I'm Reading

For those of you who haven't seen The Guardian article about Nora Roberts, you have missed some staggering statistics about what this woman has done for the romance genre. She is a publishing powerhouse, which has many of us shaking our heads and marveling at her prolific productivity. If I could be 1/3 as productive as she is, I would be a grateful and satisfied writer, indeed.

I had a Nora book in my TBR pile and this article prompted me to pick it up and read it over the holiday weekend. Homeport takes place in Maine and Italy, which are two of my favorite places. I think I would have picked the book up regardless, but with Nora at the helm it was a suspenseful story with a yummy hero and a satisfying romance. When you've read a Nora book, it's easy to see why she's the queen!

xoxo,

bex