Why haven't you read my books yet?

That seems to be a question some authors ask when entering one of their giveaways.

"If you've read my books tell me what you like about them. If you haven't tell me why you haven't yet."

Something to that extent, and for me the answer comes in several forms.

The main reason?

I haven't heard of you yet. Simple as that. I read a ton of YA novels and books as a teenager and then some of the more straight fiction-y books as I aged a little. And then life happened. I had kids, got married, and settled into wifedom and motherhood. I'm just picking back up my serious reading penchant after years off just getting by on grazing the written word. I'd say I'm a year or two back into my habit and just arriving back to the at least one book a week range. There's just that entrance into romance novels after the gap from the YA books where you don't know where to start. I walked into the bookstore blindly to find something to fill my craving for literary imagination guidelines. I wandered into the romance section and happened upon a book by Sylvia Day and a anthology called Parlor Games. After reading those I walked away with two of my favorite writers. Sylvia Day and Julia Templeton. From Sylvia Day I found Sasha White. As I've said before, other writers are the best way to find leads on new ones. This week alone I think I've added about six or seven new (to me) writers to my Facebook. My TBR pile grows by five books with each new add. It excites me though, to find new masterpieces for my mind to consume. I hope to never run out of new creativity to discover!

Do I have to stop reading to go into the store?

There are several different types of responses initially to a book. The "Ooh ooh ooh can't wait to read it!" book, the "Hmmm this sounds like it can be good book.", and the "Eh do I really want to read this?" book.

Yesterday I received a book in the mail that I had won from a blog. From the blog post and excerpts I was already excited to read it. I knew it fell into the first book response category. As soon as I started reading it I knew I'd found book gold.

We had to run a few errands after we got the mail and I didn't want to wait to start reading so I started while we were in the car. I got interrupted a few times when we had to stop and go into different stores and such. When we arrived home though, I locked down with it and stayed up until 5am this morning reading it. I really did not want to stop even then, but knew I needed beauty sleep. I had already passed the halfway mark so I was deep into the climax. As soon as I woke up this morning the book was in my hands and I was transported back to the movie that plays in my head when I read a good book. I always see the characters and their surroundings as plain as day, like it's a real scene I'm just observing play out.. We had to go do some more things in town today (one of my children has a birthday next weekend, so we were making the birthday rounds) and I grabbed my book and took it with me. I read all the way to the first stop and then asked my husband if I could take it in an continue reading as we shopped. I was completely and utterly enamored with this book. A little over 24 hours later I've finished it and I already feel a void. It's the first in a series and the next book in the series doesn't come out for another 6 months.

I'm sure by now you're probably wondering which book I am referring to in this post. The book was The Guardian by Margaret Mallory and I suggest you go buy it now. No not in a lil bit, NOW. This book will not disappoint you at all. I promise. It's perfectly written and the story is unique and this book is just the beginning of the story!

Inspiration.

I get a lot of inspiration for the subjects for my blog from things I see around other blogs and other random things that spark my interest during the course of that day.

Case in point, today I was reading a blog that carried an interview from a writer who'd written a more modern take on Cinderella's story. Which had me thinking that when I wrote my Top 10 list I forgot someone. Probably because I loaned those books out to someone else to read and they are currently inhabiting a dorm bookshelf.

I've only read three of her books, mostly because there was only three written in this particular series.

Cathy Yardley deserves a definite honorable mention to my top ten, or an award all her own to separate her from the others. I think I'd give her the "Fairytale" Award. The three books I've read were all modern erotic re-tellings of fairy tales, and there was one so well written I didn't want to sleep afterwards because I was afraid the antagonists would give me nightmares.

That one was the re-adaptation of Snow White's story and was titled "Crave".

I won't giveaway any details because I believe each book and story is an exploration each person should take on their own without any cheat sheets.

BUT I would like to see at least one writer tackle one of the harder fairy tales, like say..."The Little Mermaid". Something with a mythical touch that would require lots of imagination.

Just had to sneak that one in.

I do love adaptations on fairy tales though and I hope to find more to absorb somewhere down the road.

Used Bookstore Pet Peeve.

There's one thing I hate seeing in a used book bookstore, an autographed book.

Yes it's luck to happen upon one but it always make me go, "I'm sorry little book that you've been sold even though you're unique. I'll take you home and give you a shelf to sit on." .

Autographs are semi hard to come by in this area. The only authors to visit and do book signings are local authors or religious ones. I once stood in a large line at Wal-mart to get Joel Osteen to sign a book for my grandmother. Although it was worth it, my grandmother is worth it and always will be to me.

But other than that I haven't been to a physical book signing. The autograph copies I have I've won through some sort of contest. Although a lot of writers have a deal where you can mail them the book and they will dedicate it and return mail it to you. That just isn't as personal to me.

As a fan of that persons work I want the right to stand in front of them and gush about how much I love their books like a school girl meeting her favorite rockstar. Or even winning a signed copy of an authors book seems a bit more personal to me. Something about communicating your love through entering the competition in the first place.

A dedicated signed copy of a book is the writers gift to you no matter how you come by it. They took the time to get on of their works, that is their baby, and passed it on to you to care for. NEVER would I sell any of my autographed books. I don't care if I liked the story or not. It's a gift and should be treated as something precious.

Referrals

It's becoming my favorite way to find new authors to follow!

I have a newfound appreciation for author forums and blogs. In the past two weeks I believe I've won three or four books from them. Three are from authors I haven't read before. After reading the interviews and excerpts on said forums and blogs though, I'm actually really excited to read these books. There have even been a few that I haven't won but would still really like to read that persons works. Their name goes down on my list that I carry with me when I go to the bookstores.

I'm such a picky reader that it's normally hard to find a good book/author to keep my attention. I bought one book a while back and the first chapter and a half were landscape descriptions. I haven't brought myself to finish that one yet but I'm sure I may down the road. I like books that capture you right away and hold your attention. My husband has come to realize if the book is THAT good I will be up all night trying to finish it. What I like isn't what everyone else likes though and I can deal with that what I might've found boring others might find imaginative. Everyone has their own interpretations.

So since I follow my favorites on their blogs and Facebook I've come to find a good new list of authors I want to get to know through their works. I'm ready to add a good number to the book count!

Keeping count,

I do believe I've come to the decision that I'm going to keep a book count this year.

I know I read as much as I can but I've never seen it in numbers and that's something I'd like to explore a little. How many books a year do I read? Is it where I think it should be? I hope I come up with a good baseline because next year I'd like to set a new goal surpassing what I do this year.

I'm going to continue on my normal reading habits and see what I amass.

As of now I've read:

Return To Me by Julia Templeton
Pride and Pleasure by Sylvia Day
Healing the Highlander by Melissa Mayhue
Highlanders Curse by Melissa Mayhue
Alluring Tales I by Various Authors
Alluring Tales II by Various Authors

and then there's the odd short story here and there
books I've started but haven't finished (at least 2 so far but one's the one I'm reading currently)

Now looking at that list makes me say to myself, "Gee I thought I had read more this year......", but I suppose I haven't yet.

Yet. :)

I have a list of authors I've just discovered as some of my favorites are getting more thinned out in publishing new works. Not at all complaining though. I appreciate all the time an author puts in to each piece of work and generally am stalking the bookshelves on a release date of one of their works.

So I'm up to 6 books so far............I hope to improve on that number vastly this year.

What's your total so far?

Word Nerd!

Just won an awesome tote bag and can't wait to get it!

I won it in a Facebook contest held by Pamela Fugate Designs. She sells 100% organic cotton canvas tote bags with catchy phrases or images on them. I was introduced to her products by my mother in law who is a huge fan of all things canvas tote bag. They help her carry paperwork for work or odds and ends she may need while she's away from home, whether for the day, or on a trip.

I was super excited to see that I was chosen as a winner of one today and being the total word/book geek that I am I chose this design

I cannot wait to receive it in the mail and to begin using it!

You should find her on Facebook and check out all of her designs. She's doing another giveaway at 800 fans! Or you can find her Etsy store at http://www.etsy.com/people/PamelaFugateDesigns?ref=ls_profile .