Girls' Night Out @Turn the Page Bookstore in Boonsboro, Maryland

[a collage of 4 photos, from left to right, top then bottom: a standing chalkboard sign with "Girls' Night Out Guest Authors: Nora Roberts/JD Robb Lucy Score Madison Score Carla Vergot Lisa Proulx Sherianne Nemby; 3 stacks of paperback copies of Iktome by Sherianne Newby and 1 stack of Nomad Through Time: A Poetic Collection by Sherianne Newby; 1 stack of Lily Barlow: The Mystery of Jane Dough and 2 stacks of Lily Barlow: The Mystery in the Mangroves; a canvas tote bag with "Turn the Page Bookstore Boonsboro, Maryland"]

[a collage of 2 photos from left to right: a tall street light post with an attached banner reading "LOVE your Local Boonsboro, Md Gifts Inn Boonsboro; a standing chalkboard sign with "GNO Thur May 9th 5-9PM curiouser & curiouser Town Wide Event" leaning against the outer wall of a boutique that sells a variety of new and vintage merchandise]

[a collage of 2 photos from left to right: smiling author Lucy Score seated at a table while "a patron" stands next to her; paperback copy of The Blast from the Past by Lucy Score with the Turn the Page Bookstore sales receipt sticking up above the front cover]

Fun road trip to Turn the Page Bookstore in Boonsboro, Maryland Thursday night! It was cool, gray, and rainy as we stood in line, but the experience was worth the wait. Nora Roberts spoke to me and gently touched my arm but I was too awestruck to ask to snap her picture (and I'll force myself to wash my arm even though my inner fangirl doesn't want to erase the touch DNA as proof of the encounter).

Also, telling myself NOT to start reading The Blast from the Past* tonight no matter how much I really, really want to despite my early start time Friday morning.

Thought I'd already requested Bride or Die by Madison Score from the library but I was wrong so adding the ebook to my TBR; same for Lily Barlow: The Mystery of Jane Dough by Carla Vergot.

Our group met up with friends from Charm City Romanticon and multiplied the vectors of fun.

Concerns about the weather during the return drive meant we left without dropping in to browse the intriguing items offered by Josie's on Main and other charming businesses. Next time we'll arrive early enough to explore more shops!

Bookish fun was had by all.

*Note about a supporting character with a potential for embodying a problematic trope introduced in the first book in the Riley Thorn series, The Dead Guy Next Door: He's mysterious, possibly mystical and devoted to one of the main characters while not seeming to have family or backstory. The Corpse in the Closet begins to address those details.

Comments

Hot Love in the Kitchen & Travelling Through Time

Redemption of the Heart by Moni Boyce contemporary romance Love Snacks Publishing 8 January 2019 Despite addressing heavy themes of domestic violence, incarceration, and grief, Redemption of the Heart is a charming and sweet spicy read in the tradition of a 21st-century interracial homage to Janet Dailey’s monthly romance era. Gemma’s open-hearted ingénue contrasts starkly with Alex’s jaded workaholic. They struggle with a variety of challenges, but ethnicity isn’t one of them—a spin that feels particularly modern. Once readers commit to their suspension of disbelief regarding the cascading impact of lacks in due diligence by several characters, it’s easy to settle in to enjoy this love story. The recent public debate about the pros and cons of Gillette’s “We believe the best man can be” campaign ties in with the contradictory messages in the story threads about toxic masculinity. There’s a scene in which Alex apologizes to someone who was openly bragging among cowork...

123123! Goodbye 2023! Hello 2024!

A Marquis to Protect the Governess by Parker J. Cole historical romance fiction Harlequin Historical, December 26, 2023 Sometimes scrolling through new releases available on Libby (even though there's a stack of physical books within arm's reach), leads to unexpected reading pleasure. That's what happened with me upon starting this gem of a tale. Like opening my first books by Ms. Bev(erly Jenkins), Gay G. Gunn, Vanessa Riley, Alyssa Cole, and Lisa Rayne, Isadora and Andre's rocky love story hooked me from the first page. Using a seamless integration of historical context, character evolution, and high stakes combined with emotional nuances, this author has crafted an engaging tale that organically includes people and places too often erased from historical romance fiction. Hot Flashes and Hockey Slashes by Marika Ray & Sylvie Stewart, authors & publisher contemporary romance fiction October 2023 Who knew that normalizing op...

21st Authorversary & 20th IPPY Awardiversary + Thanks!

[front cover of Seducing the Burks: Five Erotic Tales by Cardyn Brooks with the image of an open hand making a beckoning gesture, a "2004 Independent Publisher IP Award Finalist" medallion sticker; back cover with blurb, "authorHOUSE" logo - formerly 1st Books, barcodes] Self-publishing 21 years ago was still often considered "vanity publishing" as in ego-driven by writers not talented enough to merit a contract with a traditional publisher. My decision to self-publish came after years of feedback praising the compelling nature and professional quality of my submission as prefaces to rejections that included phrases like, "Will your target audience of readers relate to the level of privilege your main characters have?" WT... It took me awhile to understand that since my Black characters are educated and middle class, agents and editors assumed that most readers wouldn't identify with them since (they also assumed) most Black people wer...

Search This Blog