The Wait Is Almost Over – Fifty Shades of Grey

The movie, Fifty Shades of Grey, based on the books by E. L. James, is scheduled to be released to movie theaters on February 13th.  If you haven’t read the books, or you read them and want to refresh your memory, now’s the time to do it! We own the trilogy in multiple formats:

greyFifty Shades of Grey – When Anastasia Steele, a young literature student, interviews wealthy young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, their initial meeting introduces Anastasia to an exciting new world that will change them both forever.darker Book. Large Print. Audiobook. Ebook. Eaudio.

Fifty Shades Darker – After a brief break-up, Anastasia and Christian change their arrangement and both wrestle with their inner demons, as Anastasia tries to make an important decision. Book. Large Print. Audiobook. Ebook. Eaudio.

freedFifty Shades Freed – Even though Christian and Anastasia are now a proper couple, they still have many obstacles to overcome, including Christian’s past coming back to haunt Anastasia. Book. Large Print. Audiobook. Ebook.

 

 

 

Author Spotlight: Grace Burrowes

a single kissNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes is known for her Historical Romance books set in the Scottish Highlands, but she recently ventured into the Contemporary Romance area – with great success!  Her new trilogy, The Sweetest Kisses, begins with the first title, A Single Kiss, out this January.  It’s been named a Top Ten Romance by Publisher’s Weekly.  Hannah Stark has set her sights on corporate law to assure her a career of paperwork, predictability, and conservative suits. Contracts, finance, and the art of the deal sing to her, while the mess and misery of the courtroom do not. But her daughter needs to eat, so when Hannah is offered a temporary position in a small town firm’s domestic relations department, she reluctantly accepts.

Trent Knightley is mightily drawn to his newest associate, though Hannah is as protective of her privacy as she is competent. When their friendship and attraction heat up, Hannah’s secrets put her heart and Trent’s hopes in double jeopardy.

I really enjoyed this book.  Although I read a lot of contemporary romances, this book was fresh, innovative, and a joy to read.  Ms. Burrowes brings this story alive through a touch of humor, smoldering tension and relatable, real life issues.  Her details and witty narrative pull you into the story and you don’t want to leave until you’ve finish the whole book!  The secondary characters are well-developed, leaving you eager to read the next installment of this trilogy.

Book Two, The First Kiss, is due out in February and book three, Kiss Me Hello, is due out in March.

About The Author:

Grace Burrowes started writing as an antidote to empty nest and soon found it an antidote to life in general. She is the sixth out of seven children, raised in the rural surrounds of central Pennsylvania. Early in life she spent a lot of time reading romance novels and practicing the piano. Her gracefirst career was as a technical writer and editor in the Washington, DC, area, a busy job that nonetheless left enough time to read a lot of romance novels.It also left enough time to grab a law degree through an evening program, produce Beloved Offspring (only one, but she is a lion), and eventually move to the lovely Maryland countryside.  Her bestsellers include The Heir, The Soldier, Lady Maggie’s Secret Scandal, Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish and Lady Eve’s Indiscretion. The Heir was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2010, The Soldier was a PW Best Spring Romance of 2011, Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish won Best Historical Romance of the Year in 2011 from RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards, Lady Louisa’s Christmas Knight was a Library Journal Best Book of 2012, and The Bridegroom Wore Plaid was a PW Best Book of 2012. Her Regency romances have received extensive praise, including starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Grace is branching out into short stories and Scotland-set Victorian romance with Sourcebooks. She is a practicing family law attorney and lives in rural Maryland.
I was provided with an ARC of this book by Sourcebooks Casablanca.

 

 

Romance Authors and Social Media

socialAfter finishing a good book, do you find yourself wanting to learn a little bit about the author?  Do you want to know what other books the author has written?  Are you reading a series and want to know the titles in sequence?  Well, most authors are really into social media and have their own blogs, facebook accounts, and twitter accounts.  Some of the author’s blogs are wonderfully entertaining, funny, and loaded with personal information.  Some authors even have give-aways, usually books, or bags – even heartdinner with the author.  They also list where they will be personally appearing.  They let you into their personal lives, even sharing pictures of their families or vacations they have taken.   Do you wonder what authors are reading?  They’ll tell you – even promoting and recommending other authors’ books.  Romance authors really enjoy their readers and are willing to share just about anything with them.  Romance authors are also a very tight knit group.  Even though they live all over the country, they form very close friendships among themselves.  For example, author Kristan Higgins’ husband traveled out West to attend a ceremony for fallen firefighters (he is a firefighter here in Connecticut) and he actually stayed with author Robyn Carr’s family.

followRomance authors give us insight to how they came about writing their novels.  Sometimes, they put a call out for readers to suggest names for upcoming characters.  Authors read every comment a reader makes and sometimes write novels based on what their readers are looking for.   If you have a favorite author, it’s easy to just google their name and see what their website has to offer.  Below are two of my favorite Romance authors websites.  I try to read them once a week because they almost always give me a good laugh.jill 2

Jill Shalvis – Her site is very informative and her blog and facebook page are hysterical!  She shares a lot about her daily life and she posts lots of pictures, including what some of the heroes of her books might look like.  She has been reprimanded a few times by facebook for posting ‘too hot to handle’ photos!  The library has a great assortment of her books here.

kristanKristan Higgins – Her site is also very informative.  She and Jill Shalvis have similar writing styles in books and their blogs/facebook are quite similar.  They are also very good friends even though Kristan lives here in Connecticut and Jill on the West Coast in a small town in the Sierra Mountains.  The library also has a great assortment of her books here.

Some other interesting Romance authors websites are:

Robyn Carr – website          library catalog

Suzanne Brockmann – website      library catalog

Susan Elizabeth Phillips – website    library catalog

Julie Ann Walker – website     library catalog

Elle Kennedy – website      library catalog

 

On Our Shelves: November 2014 Romance Books Are Here!

readingHave you been waiting for your favorite author to publish a new book?  We’ve just received a shipment of the newest Romance paperbacks.  Take a look and see if your author has a new book out.

Contemporary

Christmas at Twilight (A Twilight, Texas Novel) by Lori Wilde

Sleigh Bells in Valentine Valley  (A Valentine Valley Novel) by Emma Cane

The Lodge on Holly Road  (Life in Icicle Falls) by Sheila Roberts

The Heart of Christmas (A Whiskey Creek Novel) by Brenda Novak

Snow Angel Cove by RaeAnne Thayne

Sunflower Lane (A Lonesome Way Novel) by Jill Gregory

What A Woman Gets (A Manley Maids Novel) by Judi Fennell

Midnight Action (A Killer Instincts Novel) by Elle Kennedy

Maybe This Christmas by Sarah Morgan

Treasure on Lilac Lane (A Jewell Cove Novel) by Donna Alward

PARANORMAL

Archangel’s Shadows (A Guild Hunter Novel) by Nalini Singh

Burn For Me (A Hidden Legacy Novel) by Ilona Andrews

Romantic Suspense

Cover Your Eyes by Mary Burton

Silent Night by C.J. Kyle

Historical

The Viscount Who Lived Down the Lane  (Rhymes With Love) by Elizabeth Boyle

Only Enchanting (A Survivors’ Club Novel) by Mary Balogh

The Accidental Countess by Valerie Bowman

The Shocking Secret of a Guest at the Wedding by Victoria Alexander

 

Linda Reads: Mean Streak by Sandra Brown

Combining the nail-biting suspense and potent storytelling that has made Sandra Brown one of the world’s best loved authors, Mean Streak is a wildly compelling novel about love, deceit, and the choices we must make in order to survive.

Summarymean

Dr. Emory Charbonneau, a pediatrician and marathon runner, disappears on a mountain road in North Carolina. By the time her husband Jeff, miffed over a recent argument, reports her missing, the trail has grown cold. Literally. Fog and ice encapsulate the mountainous wilderness and paralyze the search for her.

While police suspect Jeff of “instant divorce,” Emory, suffering from an unexplained head injury, regains consciousness and finds herself the captive of a man whose violent past is so dark that he won’t even tell her his name. She’s determined to escape him, and willing to take any risks necessary to survive.

Unexpectedly, however, the two have a dangerous encounter with people who adhere to a code of justice all their own. At the center of the dispute is a desperate young woman whom Emory can’t turn her back on, even if it means breaking the law. Wrong becomes right at the hands of the man who strikes fear, but also sparks passion.

As her husband’s deception is revealed, and the FBI closes in on her captor, Emory begins to wonder if the man with no name is, in fact, her rescuer from those who wish her dead – and from heartbreak.

My Thoughts

Be prepared to keep reading this book until you’re done.  I started the book before my plan to clean my bathroom, but wound up reading it until I finished it!  The suspense was nonstop and there were many twists that I just didn’t see coming.  The story is fast-paced, the characters are likeable and believable.  The suspense has you on the edge of your seat, the humor puts a smile on your face, the drama has you gasping in surprise and when you’re finished, you’ve been thoroughly and exquisitely entertained.  It makes my top ten favorite books.

 

sandraAuthor Biography

 Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers.  She began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into thirty-three languages.

A lifelong Texan, Sandra Brown was born in Waco, grew up in Fort Worth and attended Texas Christian University, majoring in English. Before embarking on her writing career, she worked as a model at the Dallas Apparel Mart, and in television, including weathercasting for WFAA-TV in Dallas, and feature reporting on the nationally syndicated program “PM Magazine.”

She is much in demand as a speaker and guest television hostess. Her episode on truTV’s “Murder by the Book” premiered the series in 2008 and she was one of the launch authors for Investigation Discovery’s new series, “Hardcover Mysteries.”

In 2009 Brown detoured from her thrillers to write Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.
Brown recently was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

 

Source: Amazon