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It’s Monday (again) and we’ve got some stuff to talk about. But most of it is good! Let’s take advantage of it!
News and Useful Links
Have you checked out Love In Panels’ Romance for RAICES auction? It. Is. Amaze. It’s also already really expensive, but there are definitely things for everyone to bid on, whether you’re a romance writer or stick to reading. There’s a set of signed hardcovers with a bonus item that might lead to actual blows.
If you’re in the market for a new podcast, and love #rombklove on Twitter, definitely check out RomBkPod.
This is a fascinating look at how Holley Trent approaches writing her polyamorous romances.
It’s not yet available online, but if you’re in range of The Ripped Bodice you should check out their new Trope Tea.
Things move quickly in romance, and it seems like it was ages ago that we discovered that a woman had taken advantage of Nalini Singh. She accepted a scholarship for attendance to the New Zealand Romance Writers’ Association, having not been a writer nor having plans to be a writer. If she had just been interested in discovery of romance, it would be one thing. But she wrote an article—which I’m not going to link because I don’t want to give her clicks—that was…well, what you’d expect from someone with no respect for the romance genre. But Nalini herself was gracious in the storm, so let’s read about her instead.
I hadn’t actually seen a number, so it was a bit of a shock to discover that Dreamspinner Press owes TJ Klune, one of their best-selling authors, well over 25,000 dollars in royalties. He is just one of countless authors the publisher hasn’t paid their royalties, and we don’t know what the final total might be.
Andie J. Christopher interviewed Beverly Jenkins and it was as great as expected.
Deals!
Now that the trilogy is complete, it’s a good time to read An Extraordinary Union—if you enjoy historical spy romances featuring amazing women doing awesome things. It’s 2.99 right now, which is significantly lower than the others. If you’re a person who Doesn’t Read Civil War Romances, download a sample. You might decide to keep going.
Have you been curious about Sylvia Day’s new book, Butterfly in Frost? You can get it for 3.99 right now! This new novella, which is part of the Crossfire universe but not really, is her first venture into fiction in several years, and has all of the elements you’re used to seeing in a Sylvia Day romance.
Recs
A friend posted recently about people’s go-to comfort reads, and it made me think about what that means to me. As I might have mentioned, I tend not to reread books, so I have a different standard for what a comfort read is. I’ve decided it’s a book I know will be like reading a warm hug, and often by an author I know will treat me well. There are authors for whom I have deliberately left part of their backlist unread, so I can still have something available to read when I need them. They help me out of slumps, make me feel better on sick days, and get me through rough times.
Here are a few of mine.
Roan Parrish (In the Middle of Somewhere)
I had been putting Roan Parrish’s books on my to-read list for years before I finally picked one up. It was a day I was feeling poorly and needed something that would not only get me through the day, but distract me from my ailment. And Riven was that book. Needless to say I started picking up more of her books, but have been reading them very slowly. The one that has been on my list the longest is In the Middle of Somewhere, which just sounds magnificent and which I am holding on reserve for a really bad one.
Jackie Lau (He’s Not My Boyfriend)
Jackie Lau’s books are high-fun and low-angst, and they’re a perfect few-hour pick me up. Her characters are fun, her conflicts are meaningful, and her books are relatively short. I have trouble not gobbling up every book of hers that comes out, but I still have a few on the back burner, waiting to grab when the time is right. The one that has been hanging out longest is He’s Not My Boyfriend, which is the second Lau book I acquired. It’s the second book in the Chin-Williams series, and honestly I just like having the cover to look at. How cute, huh?
Talia Hibbert (Bad for the Boss)
It’s easy to leave a few of Talia Hibbert’s books hanging out, because every time you turn around there’s another one, and you just can’t keep up. I didn’t come into the gospel of TH until after the Just for Him series has been well underway, and it’s the one I have yet to come back to. Now that I’ve devoured Work For It, though, I might have to let that rainy day go ahead and come, because I want to see what Olu was like in his old world, before he figured out what his life should really look like. And of course, I can’t stay away from her books, no matter how hard I try.
This is just a snapshot of my rainy day collection; other authors include Olivia Dade, TJ Klune, and Alyssa Cole (yes, it’s true. I still have books of hers to read). But the list is ever growing, and I like knowing I won’t run out of that specific kind of book anytime soon.
What are your go-to comfort reads?
As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback, bookrecs, or just want to say hi!