By Liz Everly
Maybe two conferences in one month is too much for me. After the Writer’s Police Academy early in September and then Bouchercon last week, I feel like utter crap. I can’t catch up on my sleep and I still have no idea what day of the week it is when I wake up.
So I’ve found that business trips take on a whole new meaning when you’re a woman and have a family. There’s not just the childcare issue, there is also the issue of what will I find when I get home and how many days will it take for me to get things back in order. Even with a husband who is usually quite helpful and more of a partner than most I hear about, things still seem to fall apart. For example, I found several rolls of toilet paper opened and on the toilet, sink, floor, and so on. Which just proves that nobody in my house has yet learned how to replace toilet paper on the dispenser. Including my husband.
Trying to get the house back on track has taken most of my time since I’ve been home. I’d love to be touching base with the other writers and editors I met last week, but I’m too busy trying to figure out where we are in the laundry cycle, homework checklists, and grocery shopping. I loved catching up with my writing friends and I learned so much. But sometimes, I have to wonder if going away is worth the hassle when I return. Am I the only one who has had this experience? I’m betting not.
One of the side affects from going to writer’s conferences is that you meet writer’s whose books you want to check out. You also get bags of free books. So here’s what I’ve been reading—not romance, per se, but these books do have romantic elements in them.
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“Under a Spell (The Underworld Detection Agency Chronicles)” by Hannah Jayne. I’ve been wanting to check out this series. It sounded intriguing and it has great covers. And then I met the author and I could not resist. The premise behind the series is there is an Underworld Detective agency. So you have different kinds of paranormal-ish characters working together to combat injustice. I don’t want to give too much away, but let’s just say it’s worth a read, especially if you like paranormal stories with a light romances mixed in. I love how Hannah’s website describes the The Underworld Detection Agency Chronicles “It’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Sherlock Holmes in this feisty, funny Urban Fantasy series. Meet “breather” Sophie Lawson, her vampire-fashionista roommate Nina, the brooding eternally sixteen-year old Vlad, and the two men making up Sophie’s sweet and sexy love triangle – fallen angel Alex Grace and Vessel Guardian Will Sherman.” It’s funny, smart, and kick-ass, just like the writer.
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“Lucidity: A Ghost of a Love Story” by CJ Lyons. (This book has been retitled as “Torn Apart.) I met CJ at the Writer’s Police Academy and Hannah recommended this book to me, along with her other work. And wow. Once again, I don’t want to give too much away because a big part of this book’s appeal is the intrigue. It’s definitely one of the most interesting suspenseful love stories I’ve ever read. And it does have some hot scenes in it—but it’s not a genre romance. Um. Or maybe it crosses several genres–in the best possible ways. Here’s how it’s described on CJ’s website, “A novel that combines the worlds of supernatural horror, medical thrillers, and a love story that spans eternity.” Indeed.
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“A Bad Day for Sorry” by Sophie Littlefield, which was also recommend to me by Hannah and then another writer at Bouchercon. So I knew I had to get my hot little hands on this book and whole series. Yep. The main character in this book is a 50-year-old woman who has killed her abusive husband and. now four years later, is on a mission to protect women from abusive men. In fact, she’s fashioned the mission into her “side” business—she also owns a sewing store. I like the character—she is tough and earthy, and the premise is fascinating. I’m in the middle of the first book and am enjoying it. The “romance” in this book might be between the main character and the sheriff. At least I hope so. Grin.
The trouble is, of course, all of these writers are prolific and I want to read more of their books. So many books, so little time.
What have you been reading? Good books? Bad books?
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Image may be NSFW.
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