Let the Games Begin!

It was such a thrill to watch the Opening Ceremonies for the London 2012 Summer Olympics last night.

Yes, yes, there were long stretches where there was just lots of talking and walking (my son informed me he was "bored" more than once during the Parade of Nations), but I loved that ten-minute sequence at the very beginning that showed famous spots around the United Kingdom...and who wouldn't get a kick out of that fun scene with Queen Elizabeth II (aka Bond Girl) and Daniel Craig (aka 007) where they jumped out of the helicopter?! I couldn't stop smiling.

When we went to the England at the end of March, one of our major sightseeing visits was the British Museum. My husband and I had been there before, but we wanted our son to see cool historical things like the Rosetta Stone, too, so he wouldn't think London was only known for the Tube and the Cadbury bars...

As a bonus, we had a chance to get a close-up view of the newly minted Olympic gold medals for the London Games, which were on display in the museum, and I thought this week would be the perfect time to share them. Gorgeous, yes? I'm already anticipating the fun of watching the men's and women's gymastics competitions, some of the swimming and diving events and a taster platter of other sports, like archery, volleyball and fencing. What about you?? Do you watch? Which events are your favorites?

And, in an extra bit of exciting news, I was delighted to learn a couple of weeks ago that my ebook romance, Double Dipping, was named a 2012 contemporary novel finalist in the International Digital Awards! There may not have been any gold medals bestowed on the finalists or winners, but it was a tremendous honor all the same.

Wishing you all a fabulous week!!

Lucky 13

Happy Friday the 13th!

As some of you already know (see Magical Musings post on the subject), I've always considered this to be a lucky day...and I hope that proves true for you, too!

This awesome book photo on the left comes courtesy of the wonderful Jill Thomas, who sent me a snapshot of her vacation reading stack. So honored to be in this literary company!!

This week has been a busy one...half the summer has flitted by and I'm only just beginning to believe it's actually BBQ season. Summertime events -- both online and off -- have been happening so fast that I haven't had the chance to highlight them, but I did want to tell you all about a few:

Last night, I met the lovely Elizabeth Hoyt, Jade Lee and Allie Pleiter at the Fremont Public Library, where we took part in a romance panel and got to meet some really nice patrons. We're doing it again tomorrow -- Saturday, July 14th from 2pm - 3:30pm -- at the Warren-Newport Public Library in Gurnee, IL. So, if you're in the area (or up for a road trip!), please join us. There will be dessert and a drawing for a bag of free books!

On the subject of book giveaways...I'm a guest this week at Darcyholic Diversions and am giving away two copies of my digital romantic comedy, On Any Given Sundae. The contest runs until the beginning of August, so it's not too late to comment and be entered!

The Journey Begins in Real Time...

I was reminded by an online friend (Hi, Catherine! *waving*) yesterday that the story that takes place within A Summer in Europe begins on June 26th, which is the main character's 30th birthday. I'd nearly forgotten this detail -- amidst all of the craziness and general chaos of my day-to-day life -- but then I checked the pages and not only remembered that the dates aligned, but so do the days of the week, since I used the 2012 calendar when I drafted the novel.

It's a funny thing, getting to begin a journey with my characters now, in real time, that I've already written for them in anticipation of this summer... ;)

Anyway, I have a few fun photos to share of events from this month. A panel shot from Printers Row (with Karen Doornebos, Elisabeth Lenckos, Abigail Reynolds, me, Regena Bryant and C. Allyn Pierson), and a picture of Karen and me with William Deresiewicz, author of A JANE AUSTEN EDUCATION during his signing.

I've also got a few snapshots of my travel program at the Waukegan Public Library, which was tons of fun!! Such a great group of patrons, friends and librarians there that night. To the right, I'm with the lovely programs librarian, Sara. Have a fabulous week, everyone! Here are some other pictures from the meal, talk and signing:

Travel Program Tonight!!

I had a wonderful time at the Printers Row Lit Fest in Chicago this weekend (there are a few pictures up on Facebook already :), and I'm really excited about tonight's program, too, at the Waukegan Public Library! I'm giving a talk on Traveling in Europe -- complete with an Italian meal that the programs librarian and I are putting together (so much food!), a slideshow of fabulous sites across the pond and how visiting them influenced the writing of A Summer in Europe and a booksigning, too. So, if you're anywhere near the area and want to join in the fun tonight, please check out the details HERE! It's free and open to the public. I'll be in the Bradbury Room (yes, the incredible Ray Bradbury was once a resident...) from 5:30 - 7:30pm.

Also, a little FYI, According to Jane is the featured book this week on fellow Austen Author Sally Smith O'Rourke's blog Austenticity! Posted there is the longest free excerpt that's ever been online for the book (the prologue + the first 3 chapters) so, if you haven't read the story, you can take a peek at the beginning HERE!

Hope you're all having a fabulous start to the week ;-).

A Summer in Europe...the Vlog!

Ohhhh, my God, it's JUNE! That's when school's out! It ends only a few days from now, and I'm NOT READY for that!! (Can you hear me panicking in Chicago?)

However, aside from my complete lack of preparedness for summer vacation, the week is going very well. I had the honor of being the blog guest of the lovely Jakki Leatherberry this week, who wrote a wonderful review of A Summer in Europe, did an interview with me (there's a book giveaway attached to that, btw!) and, as of today, has up a special vlog that she filmed about the book. I loved it so much, I just had to share it!!


I also had an interesting experience in the past week that, I'll admit, surprised me a little. I came down with another cold (that's not the surprising thing -- I need to get more sleep/take more Vitamin C/etc.), but I was up really late because I couldn't breathe and I thought it would be helpful if I at least did some work on my current manuscript. Well, Internet "book research" being what it is, I didn't exactly stay on task for as long as I should have. I veered...and somehow found myself at the CW Network site watching the pilot episode of "The Vampire Diaries."

This part is surprising because I really am not so big into the whole neck-biting, blood-sucking vampire thing, and I'd all but vowed not to watch it and yet, yet...the character that Ian Somerhalder (formerly Boone on "LOST") plays on the show, the remarkably strong cast as an ensemble, the conflict-laden brotherly relationship, the love triangle, the excellent writing and the unexpected humor (most of which originates with Somerhalder's bad-

boy vampire character, Damon Salvatore) totally won me over. Even more surprising, I ended up renting the Season One DVDs and have been devouring them like a vamp who was turned in 1864 and...oh, never mind.

Have any of you ever had that happen? You were so sure a show/film/book wasn't "right for you," but then you gave it a chance and it completely captivated you? Makes me wonder -- what TV series should I try next? (It does not need to have supernatural creatures in it to interest me, btw. ;) I'd love to hear about your faves, and I'm open to suggestions!!

Wishing you a great weekend and a very happy June, everyone!

Mid-Week Fly By

May has been zipping by so fast I'm afraid to close my eyes for fear I'll discover that it's really July...

A few bits of happy news to share: On Any Given Sundae is being featured this week on Facebook's KotC -- I'm their Spotlight Author! I can't tell you how exciting it is to hear readers saying they enjoyed this romantic comedy. It was such a fun one to write ;).

Also, the B&N General Fiction Book Club's discussion of A Summer in Europe has been truly wonderful!! The club members have asked tons of fabulous questions and shared so many personal insights that it's been a pleasure to get to visit with them every day. If you'd like to peek in on our conversations so far, the Week One discussion is here, and the Week Two discussion is in progress here. As always, anyone is welcome to jump in at any time!

And, finally, I have newsletter giveaway winners to announce! I've already been in touch with all three winners, so they know their book-club edition of Friday Mornings at Nine is headed their way, but I wanted to give them a personal shout out on the blog: Kelli R., Sharon S., and Robin W. -- congrats!! Hope you'll all enjoy the book.

Today, I'm planning to finish a few computer-related projects, and then I'm walking outside. It's gorgeous out there!! What about you? What's on your mid-week, mid-May agenda?

Join Me (and the B&N Book Club) for a Grand European Adventure!

It's the lovely month of May and, for me, that means it's time for a long-awaited virtual voyage to Europe with one of my favorite book clubs. The best part is that anyone in the world is welcome to come along for free! Please join me and the Barnes & Noble General Fiction Book Club as we discuss A Summer in Europe online and talk about our most cherished, funny or anxiety-provoking travel experiences...the most delicious meals we've ever had abroad...and the coolest sites we've seen in fabulous places around the globe.

No matter which airport you may be departing from, I know we're going to have smooth flights, hassle-free security check-ins, lots of overhead luggage space, ample leg room and endless onboard treats. (I'm already breaking open a tasty bottle of Welsh mead -- a honey wine -- that I brought back from a shop near Conwy Castle, and I'm beginning to pour glasses for everyone...)

So, if you already have the book or would like to pick up a copy (there's still time! you can find it at Amazon, B&N, IndieBound and more!), the reading schedule is posted here. I can tell you right now that we'll be reading and talking about Chapters 1-4 during the week of May 7-13, Chapters 5-8 during May 14-20, and Chapters 9-13 during May 21-27. The links to the weekly chats will be posted on the Fiction General Discussion Board HERE. Truly, I can't wait!

Because we were in England and, then, when we returned, I had both the RT Booklovers Convention and Chicago-North's Spring Fling Conference to attend, my real life got a bit too hectic for me to post everything I wanted to share. However, two wonderful friends had new book releases this spring, and I just couldn't wait any longer to tell you about them!

My amazing critique partner, Laura Moore, released the final book in her Rosewood trilogy at the end of March. Trouble Me is the story of Jade, the youngest and wildest of the Radcliffe sisters. She is the last to return home to her family’s sprawling Virginia horse farm and its unsettling memories. She never planned on a night of passion with a stranger before starting her new life as a teacher and riding instructor -- or the shock of recognizing the man who gave her so much pleasure standing right there in her classroom... Officer Rob Cooper is stunned. Not only is the woman who rocked his world his daughter’s second grade teacher, but she’s the troubled teen whom he blames for his wife’s death years ago. Worse, now that he sees her in the light of day, he wants her more than ever. Time has softened Jade’s hard, rebellious edge -- she’s spirited, honest, and sexy to distraction. But will the feelings ignited in the heat of desire be enough to heal a past that needs forgiving?

And, also, my good friend Robin Bielman just released her debut book -- yay! It's a romantic novella called Worth the Risk, which is a story of reunited love. Samantha Bennett put Dean Malloy out of her mind five years ago, when he broke her heart after a summer fling. But now he's back in her life, and ready to steal a heritage protection contract that could make or break her career -- if he doesn't steal her heart first. Samantha's vowed to hate him, but it's more than anger heating the competition between them. With sparks flying across the conference table and sizzling in every touch, Dean proposes a weekend liaison. Anything to have Sam again; anything to get her out of his system. But the unresolved feelings between them complicate both their personal and professional lives, and one wild weekend could turn into a disaster that would destroy the one job that means more to Samantha than anything...

Congratulations, Laura and Robin! I'm so thrilled for you both!! And to everyone, I hope you're having a wonderful start to May ;). What have you all been reading this spring?