Five Reasons Every Reader Should Go To A Large Author Event (in Pictures)

5. Babies

Ok, fine.  So that's not really a reason.  But he's so stinking cute and put up with a lot of crazy book nerds.  He deserves a nod.

4.  Bands

Griffin Peterson (who you may remember from the music in Maybe Someday)

and his band that has no name, except their real names (Jon and Adam) showed up for the signing!  They took pictures and signed autographs.  Later that night, they put on a free concert for us.

Props to them for driving 13 hours just to entertain a bunch of book nerds.  They're awesome!

3.  Books

This isn't even half my loot.  And I got almost nothing compared to some die hards!  The only place you'll see more rolly luggage than at an author event is at the airport.

2.  Authors

Like Kristen Ashley,

Colleen Hoover, whose line was so long she stayed about thirty minutes past time and still signed again that night for about two hours,

And Mia Sheridan who signed for eight straight hours with no break.  Now that is dedication to your fans!

And the #1 reason to attend a large author event....Friends.

I met up with friends from Wisconsin, California, Chicago, etc.  And that doesn't include the people I met from as far away as Brazil.  

Insane.

And so, so worth the lack of sleep and junk food.

Here's to next year!

Erin Noelle Releases a Nearly "Perfect" Book

It's only February and I'm already making a bold statement...

"The Perfect Life" by Erin Noelle is my favorite book of the year.

Will that change?  Maybe.   Maybe not.  But what won't change is my absolute obsession with this wonderful book!  Ms. Noelle has gone above and beyond to create and absolute masterpiece with this story.

When she and I first talked about the storyline back in September, I was really intrigued.  I wanted to know how it was going to play out.  So I started hounding her to get it done.  And when she did, I wasn't disappointed.  Because this really is the story you didn't see coming.

The gist of the story is that Monroe Cassidy's life seems perfect.  And for all intents and purposes it is.  But what if her life could get even better?  What if the appeared perfection is actually holding her back from true perfection?  What if?

Now, for those of you who are resisting this book because of the love triangle aspect, just trust me.  Secrets and lies and twists and turns start happening almost immediately.  Things are never exactly as they appear.

Sound vague?  I know.  But I don't want to ruin anything for you.  Just trust me.

As always, Ms. Noelle's writing is impeccable.  Her characters are relatable.  Her story is interesting. And once again, she hits on a taboo topic that will leave you questioning why you thought it was taboo in the first place.

So my original opinion stands:

This is my favorite book of the year.

And it just might be yours, too.  Get it by clicking here.

Jewel E. Ann's Book is "Undeniably" Good

It always makes me nervous when someone gifts me a book that they love.  I mean, what if I don't like it?  What if I hate it?  Maybe even worse, what if it's just ok?  So I was a little concerned when I cracked open "Undeniably You" by Jewel E. Ann.

I shouldn't have been concerned at all.

"Undeniably You" has everything you could ever ask for in a romance novel:  a hot guy, a beach, another hot guy, a dog, flirty banter, and a twist you never saw coming.

I was so engaged in this book that I couldn't put it down.  In fact, I sent several Facebook messages to my friend saying, "I hate you.  It's 2am and I have children that will be up in 4 hours, BUT I'M STILL READING!" 

When a book supersedes sleep for a mom of a nursing baby, you know it's good.

Be forewarned, there will come a point in time, you won't know if you are rooting for the relationship or not.  I couldn't figure out my own emotions at one point.  But for good reason.  And you'll find all that out when you get it by clicking here.

Don't miss this fun, sexy, engaging read!

Author Sara Ney Ends The "Three Little Lies" Series in a Super Sexy Way

Nerdy is the new sexy.

That's the motto of "Things Liars Fake", the final installment in Sara Ney's "Three Little Lies" series.  

And sexy it is.

In "Things Liars Fake", we meet Daphne, a normal, all-American girl.  And we meet Dexter.  Nerdy.  Sexy.  Adorkable.  Yes...adorkable.  

As always, Ney's writing is fresh and easy.  The storyline doesn't feel forced.  The drama seems all too real.

The book itself is as adorkable as its main character.

And for $0.99, you can't go wrong with this one.

Get it by clicking here.  

The Importance of a Good Narrator

Whenever I go out of town, I always get an audio book for the road. Nothing passes the time better than falling into a story as the monotonous terrain whizzes by.

Here's the thing...I have heard some books that would be great.  But the actor who does the voice over work just doesn't get it right and the book is essentially ruined.

There are also some favorites of mine.  I mean, who can resist Zachary Webber and his velvety voice?  Recently, he did the voice of Christian Grey in E.L. James' "Grey" and I was a happy camper!

But it goes beyond a good voice.  Inflection, tone and the ability to change characters voices are all just as important.

I was wildly impressed with the voice I listened to the other day and I think she's the epitome of what happens when voice work is done right.

I was on my way to Holidays with the Belles and listening to "Not Yet" by Laura Ward.  It was narrated by Lisa Zimmerman.

The book itself is a really nice story.  One of the things that stands out about Ms. Ward's writing is that it is very important to her to always have a character who has special needs.  In "Not Yet" that includes a character who has Down Syndrome.

Here's the thing, when a narrator has to use an accent, especially an accent that is for one character only, it can go terribly, terribly wrong. And in this case, if the narrator wasn't careful, it would have bordered on disrespectful as well.

Fortunately for us, Ms. Zimmerman nailed it.

I actually rewound by about thirty seconds when this character showed up because I was so blown away by how Ms. Zimmerman portrayed her.  She added an aspect of realism that a lesser actor would not have been able to do.  It was wonderful.

I spoke with Ms. Ward about this at HWTB and told her how very impressed I was with the Audible.  She informed me that she and Ms. Zimmerman had numerous conversations about this particular character and really worked hard to be true to the character in the best way possible.  

Well it showed.

If only all authors were as nitpicky as Ms. Ward was.  Far too many books have been ruined by a bad narrator.

I hope you'll give "Not Yet" a chance on Audible.  Get it by clicking here.  This is a perfect example of how the perfect voice can take a good book and make it something excellent.

This Book Will Give You the "Blues" In Such a Good Way

I can’t function.

Why?

Because I am ruined.

Not since Mia Asher’s “Arsen” have I felt so much anxiety over a book.  (I had to relegate it to a “treadmill only” book so I could distance myself a little in the regular world). Not since Tarryn Fisher’s “The Opportunist” have I equally loved and hated a book.

But this time…Oh this time I’m feeling all the feels.

In “Winter Blues” Jade Goodson explores a marriage that is falling apart due to lack of time, lack of priority and everyday stressors that every marriage faces.  But that’s just the beginning.

In the middle of it all, she just guts you.  Rude.

And brilliant.

And just because you think you know how the story is going to play out, let me assure you, you have absolutely no idea what these people are going to do.

Every single one of these characters frustrated the snot out of me.  And every single one of them warmed my heart. 

And yet, somehow, I still left the book in tears, wanting to throw my kindle while hugging it to my chest.

This book is a little bit older.  It was released in 2013.  But it is the first book I've read this year that I am marking as a “Top Read”. 

Snatch it up by clicking here.

You are going to love me and hate me when you do.

Penny Reid is a "Ninja" of an Author

I've gushed over Penny Reid and her writing before, so I'll save you the trouble of repeating myself.  What I will say again though, is if you haven't read her writing, you need to start.  

However, if you decide to start with "Happily Ever Ninja", the latest installment in the Knitting in the City series, be forewarned...this one is, well, odd.

I know that sounds like a negative thing, but it's really not.  Penny herself says this book is a little different than the others.  And it is.  It really, really is.

But Penny pulls it off like only Penny can.  

I think it's because Penny is smart.  Like super smart.  She's a biomedical researcher in "real" life and is the boss of a bunch of other biomedical researchers.  That kind of smart.  So Penny can pull off scenarios that could end up sounding ridiculous by a less experienced author.  And she can pull it off well.  

Please don't misunderstand...this book is far from ridiculous.  It's funny, it's charming, the pace is wonderful.  At it's core, it's about the struggles and trials any couple goes through after many years of marriage.  Greg and Fiona Archer just happen to have odd jobs. 

You'll see what I mean when you grab it by clicking here.

Embrace the odd.  You won't be disappointed.