Books for Mothers Day?

What I'm reading: Loitering With Intent, by Stuart Woods

(and be sure to read to the end -- there's a Homicide- Hussey bonus for you)

I'll be with six other members of the Central Florida Romance Writers at Barnes & Noble in Orlando on Saturday: Dara Edmondson, Catherine Kean, Judith Gilbert, Shauna Hart, Michelle Young, and Cillian Burns. It's the day before Mother's Day, and there's normally a good turnout. But I have to wonder about the economy, and whether it will affect sales.

I know I haven't stopped reading – I can't imagine ever doing that – and although I've cut back on buying, it's more because of the idea of moving more books than I already have than because of the budget. I'm buying more e-books, simply because they don't take up space.

There are a lot of mixed feelings about used book stores. Some authors don't like them because they aren't getting royalties. It's never bothered me. I've found many new authors I might not have tried otherwise, and I'm more willing to take a chance with a discounted book. I think I found my first Susan Wiggs book at a used book store, and I've bought everything else she's written.

Keep Reading...

Another budget-cutter is your library. I'm also a strong believer in libraries. I'm a strong believer in anything that gets people reading (as I'm sure many of you know from the countless times I've mentioned my association as a volunteer with the Adult Literacy League here in Orlando).

If you read yesterday's post, you saw that I'm having a contest that runs all this month. (I'll wait while you scroll down and read it – I'll find something else to put in the prize envelope while you do.)

You're back? Great. One of the 'rules' of the contest is that you check with your local library for one of my books, WHEN DANGER CALLS. The publisher, Five Star, targets the library market, and having it in as many libraries as possible is a triple bonus.

One, the publisher sells a book. Two, the author (in this case, me), gets the royalty. Three, the reader (you) gets to enjoy a great read at no cost. Of course, I have no objection to you deciding you just HAVE to have the book for your collection (or to give to your Mother for Mother's Day), but seriously, I know the hard cover books are pricey.

I'll be interested to see how it does at Saturday's signing.

So – how has the economy affected your book-buying/reading habits?

And, because tomorrow is reserved for Detective Mark Hussey's next installment, I won't be seeing you until Monday. If you're in Orlando Saturday (May 9th), drop by the Barnes & Noble at Plaza Venezia, 7900 W. Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32819, between 1 and 4 pm. We're giving away a $15 Barnes & Noble gift card to one lucky winner – no purchase necessary. All you have to do is come in and say hello.

And, just because this post feels a little too much like a 'commercial', I'll leave you with a bonus. Last week, the beginning Civilian Police Academy class had their session on the Homicide Division. Their speaker was none other than Detective Mark Hussey. If you've been following his Friday posts (and if you haven't, shame on you – they're great!), you know he has quite the sense of humor. He opened his talk with his own personal Top Ten Reasons he became a Homicide Detective:

10. You develop the bladder capacity of 5 normal people.

9. Chances to teach seminars entitled “Suicide--getting it right the first time”.

8. Discussing dismemberment over a gourmet meal seems perfectly normal.

7. You can identify a negative teeth-to-tattoo ratio just by looking at someone.

6. Opportunities to hang out with a 10 day old stinker on the hottest day of the year.

5. It’s nice to be the only person introduced at social gatherings by your profession.

4. Exhaustion becomes your favorite hallucinogen.

3. Caffeine is available to you in IV form.

2. Advance notice of soon-to-be-available apartments and cars.

1. Free Chalk.

Be sure to come back tomorrow. His chapter is called "Adventures in the Paranormal."

February Features

What I'm reading: Rita Entries, 5 of 8.

What I'm writing: short story (making it shorter, actually, and doing more research), preparation for 2 workshops.

It's February, and in central Florida, that means the weather is...pretty much unpredictable. Three nights ago, the heat kicked in. Last night it was the air conditioning. Now, I'm not saying I want to go back to Colorado where it was minus 5, but something remotely resembling winter would be nice. We have some fire logs left, and I'd love to sit in front of the fireplace with some hot chocolate and a good book. But it's supposed to be pushing 80 for the next week or so. Global Warming? Hard to use that as an explanation if the term is "Global" because while I was in Colorado they had unusually cold weather lasting longer than normal.

February is a busy month in our household. Groundhog Day, while not much of a holiday, is special because it marks the anniversary of our engagement. With Valentine's Day and my birthday added to the mix, there are lots of opportunities for flowers, chocolate and romance.

Book Signing Behavior

What I've been reading: Morning Star by Micqui Miller; My Shadow, My Love by Sharon Horton.

What I'm writing: Workshop outlines and a mystery short story, as yet (as always) untitled.

I returned from Colorado Springs to find 8 Rita entires waiting for me. I was pleased that I didn't know the authors so I won't have trouble being objective, or have to recuse myself from any of the reads. However, I won't be reporting titles here.

Yesterday a group of 6 romance authors from the Central Florida Romance writers gathered for a book signing at a local chain store. It was nice being out and about with 'grownups' after 10 days having fun with my grandson. He's adorable, but at 5 weeks, not much of a conversationalist.


Book signings are interesting experiences. Some people go out of their way to avoid even eye contact. Others smile, but walk past. It's obvious they don't want to feel any obligation to buy, but speaking from my experience and that of others, authors like it when you stop by. Yesterday we met a graphic artist, a children's book author of his first book, students, kids, moms and dads. It's fun to chat, to discuss reading and books, and we really don't expect to sell a book to every person who stops by. But we love to say hello. We'll even give directions to the restrooms if you ask.