Saturday, May 31, 2014

#Blog Updates AND The #NYTimes Top 15 (25) Best Sellers for the week ending June 1, 2014!


Welcome! Posted by NOON every Sunday and sometimes earlier! How are you? Yes, this IS a 2nd post of the same thing. I had to do it so it would show on TOP as it always does on Sunday's. So, another week has gone by and MORE new books have released! More books have moved around on that Best Seller list, and I can't wait to see what we have today!

This week I participated in the #ArmchairBEA and it was FUN! I hope you all enjoyed my posts! They were there EVERY DAY! If you want to read ALL my posts, pleaase scBloggers can participate next year, too, at this website! http://www.ArmchairBEA.com

MONDAY, JUNE 1st, come back for an article on my worst date ever! Based upon the book, Almost Royalty by Courtney Hamilton - the review I did on Saturday, HERE!

All through the week there are new releases coming out, especially June 3rd! Watch that date! I have a few reviews to post and a blog tour this week, so keep your eyes open!

'3' GIVEAWAYS GOING ON RIGHT NOW!

ONE GIVEAWAY IS ONLY UNTIL TONIGHT 6/1 AT MIDNIGHT! From the #ArmchairBEA, I am giving away 1 - $10 Amazon Gift Card OR $10 PayPal CASH for books! Enter this one HERE! 

One Giveaway from the publisher! Go there to my post to click on the link! That link is: HERE! 

One Giveaway for the Mother's Day Kindle HDX or Amazon GC or PayPal CASH ($229 value!) Click HERE! 

Okay! Let's get to the books!

FICTION: COMBINED PRINT AND EBOOK

1. The One and Only by Emily Griffin
ebook: $11.84
print: $


2. Unlucky 13 (Women's Murder Club) by James Patterson
ebook: $ 8.99
print: $16.80


3. The Lincoln Myth: A Novel (Cotton Malone) by Steve Berry
ebook: $10.99
print:   $16.20


4. Field of Prey by John Sanford
ebook: $  8.99
Print:   $17.13


5. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
ebook: $  7.50
print:   $16.94


6. The Target (Wil Robie) by David Baldacci
ebook: $  8.99
print:   $16.80


7. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
ebook: $8.54
print:   $8.99


8. Sniper's Honor: A Bob Lee Swagger Novel by Stephen Hunter
ebook: $11.89
print:   $  8.99


9. The Girl Who Came Home: A Novel of the Titanic (P.S.) by Hazel Gaynor
ebook: $1.99
print:   $9.48


10. Inferno by Dan Brown
ebook: $6.99
print:   $8.49


11. Orphan Train: A Novel by Christina Baker Kline
ebook: $6.99
print:   $8.51


12. Natchez Burning (Penn Cage) by Greg Iles
ebook: $12.99
print:   $16.79


13. The Husbands Secret by Lianne Moriarty
ebook: $  5.99
print:   $14.66


14. The Collector by Nora Roberts
ebook: $ 8.99
print:: $16.43


15. Reasonable Doubt by Whitney Gracia Williams
ebook: $0.99
No print available yet


Thanks for coming by! Please leave a comment telling us what YOU are reading! Let's get this interactive and send some book recommendations out to each other!
Here are the rest!



  • A GAME OF THRONES, by George R. R. Martin (Bantam)




  • SIXTH GRAVE ON THE EDGE, by Darynda Jones (St. Martin's)




  • THE SKIN COLLECTOR, by Jeffery Deaver (Grand Central)




  • THE INVENTION OF WINGS, by Sue Monk Kidd (Viking)




  • TAINT, by S.L. Jennings (S.L. Jennings)




  • ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, by Anthony Doerr (Scribner)




  • HIDDEN TREASURE, by Melody Anne (Gossamer)




  • THE LONGEST RIDE, by Nicholas Sparks (Grand Central)




  • THE WEDDING CONTRACT, by H.M. Ward (H.M. Ward Press)




  • ALL A HEART NEEDS, by Barbara Freethy (Fog City)
  • #ArmchairBEA 2014 Wrap-Up Post!



    Time to wrap it up!

    The week is coming to a close, though we are not finished yet!  We still have a few more things coming your way LIVE from BEA as well as a closing survey.  We recommend you continue to follow us to catch all the latest news!

    In the meantime, we want to know how you felt the week went.  What were some of your favorite aspects of Armchair BEA 2014?  What were the most intriguing conversations or the posts you recommend everyone read?  Did you want to summarize your own posts all in one spot?  This is your opportunity to share your wrap-up for the week in the way you feel most appropriate.

    Please Note:  We will have a special closing survey going live tomorrow evening for you to also share your thoughts with the Armchair BEA team on this week and provide feedback for future events.  Don't miss it!



    #ArmchairBEA Wrap-Up Time!
    My favorite aspect of the #ArmchairBEA was going around visiting other blogs! I didn't always get to write a comment, but I LOVED reading on the different topics!
    I loved the daily pictures! Wish there were more from the open floor of the book sellers, the authors, and more! I want to see it all! How about some video?
    I loved the Author Interviews, too! Those were great!
    I loved writing something, a Topic every day. That was FUN!
    I wouldn't change a thing, except for getting us a better view of the open floor!
    I was VERY surprised that WE got to win books! Wow! Thank you to ALL the Sponsors!!
    This was so much FUN, I'm going to do it again next year, too! Except this time I am not going to plan on having to read 2 books, do one Blog Tour and one review during the SAME week! This will give me more time to spend at other blogs reading and learning about their topics!
    Thanks, #ArmchairBEA!
    Laurie

    #Blog Updates and The #NYTimes Top 15 #BestSellers for the week ending June 1, 2014


    Welcome! Posted by NOON every Sunday and sometimes earlier! How are you? Another week has gone by and MORE new books have released! More books have moved around on that Best Seller list, and I can't wait to see what we have today!

    This week I participated in the #ArmchairBEA and it was FUN! I hope you all enjoyed my posts! They were there EVERY DAY! If you want to read ALL my posts, pleaase scBloggers can participate next year, too, at this website! http://www.ArmchairBEA.com

    GIVEAWAYS! '3' GOING ON RIGHT NOW!

    ONE GIVEAWAY IS ONLY UNTIL TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT! From the #ArmchairBEA, I am giving away 1 - $10 Amazon Gift Card OR $10 PayPal CASH for books! Enter this one HERE! 

    One Giveaway from the publisher! Go there to my post to click on the link! That link is: HERE! 

    *One Giveaway ENDING TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT (6-1) for the Mother's Day Kindle HDX or Amazon GC or PayPal CASH ($229 value!) Click HERE! 

    Okay! Let's get to the books!

    FICTION: COMBINED PRINT AND EBOOK

    1. The One and Only by Emily Griffin
    ebook: $11.84
    print: $


    2. Unlucky 13 (Women's Murder Club) by James Patterson
    ebook: $ 8.99
    print: $16.80


    3. The Lincoln Myth: A Novel (Cotton Malone) by Steve Berry
    ebook: $10.99
    print:   $16.20


    4. Field of Prey by John Sanford
    ebook: $  8.99
    Print:   $17.13


    5. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
    ebook: $  7.50
    print:   $16.94


    6. The Target (Wil Robie) by David Baldacci
    ebook: $  8.99
    print:   $16.80


    7. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
    ebook: $8.54
    print:   $8.99


    8. Sniper's Honor: A Bob Lee Swagger Novel by Stephen Hunter
    ebook: $11.89
    print:   $  8.99


    9. The Girl Who Came Home: A Novel of the Titanic (P.S.) by Hazel Gaynor
    ebook: $1.99
    print:   $9.48


    10. Inferno by Dan Brown
    ebook: $6.99
    print:   $8.49


    11. Orphan Train: A Novel by Christina Baker Kline
    ebook: $6.99
    print:   $8.51


    12. Natchez Burning (Penn Cage) by Greg Iles
    ebook: $12.99
    print:   $16.79


    13. The Husbands Secret by Lianne Moriarty
    ebook: $  5.99
    print:   $14.66


    14. The Collector by Nora Roberts
    ebook: $ 8.99
    print:: $16.43


    15. Reasonable Doubt by Whitney Gracia Williams
    ebook: $0.99
    No print available yet


    Thanks for coming by! Please leave a comment telling us what YOU are reading! Let's get this interactive and send some book recommendations out to each other!
    Here are the rest!



  • A GAME OF THRONES, by George R. R. Martin (Bantam)


  • SIXTH GRAVE ON THE EDGE, by Darynda Jones (St. Martin's)


  • THE SKIN COLLECTOR, by Jeffery Deaver (Grand Central)


  • THE INVENTION OF WINGS, by Sue Monk Kidd (Viking)


  • TAINT, by S.L. Jennings (S.L. Jennings)


  • ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, by Anthony Doerr (Scribner)


  • HIDDEN TREASURE, by Melody Anne (Gossamer)


  • THE LONGEST RIDE, by Nicholas Sparks (Grand Central)


  • THE WEDDING CONTRACT, by H.M. Ward (H.M. Ward Press)


  • ALL A HEART NEEDS, by Barbara Freethy (Fog City)
  • REVIEW: "Almost Royalty: A Romantic Comedy . . . of Sorts"" by Courtney Hamilton


    Description
    Courtney Hamilton is a Velveeta-loving attorney driven to distraction by a city that seethes with soul-sucking status seekers. When her friend Marcie formulates an impossibly detailed rating system for acceptable men—the Los Angeles Eco-Chain of Dating—Courtney goes on a self-destructive binge that doesn’t stop until she gets thrown out of group therapy for insulting a former child actress.
    Courtney is mortified as she watches her best friends give up stellar careers in law and the arts to marry entertainment royalty and civilian overachievers. Worse, they expect Courtney to do the same. So they hatch plots to get her to give up her career, break her addiction to fake cheese, marry into high-orbit wealth and rule the stratosphere alongside them.
    But Courtney resists. She doesn’t want to be a poster child for the Opt-Out Generation. And she certainly doesn’t want to be molded into date bait for the top rung of L.A. society. All Courtney wants is to be left alone so she can search beneath the surface for a meaningful life. But between a meddling, narcissistic mother, a self-absorbed therapist and friends trying to send her to dating re-education camps, it seems that fake cheese is the only genuine thing left in the city. Social ambition combats self-actualization in this biting tale of one woman’s search for certainty in a city full of mirages.

    Sit. Read. Have some Velveeta. Enjoy. Laugh.

    My Take:
    4 Stars!
    Buy this book to read! It's a must-read, must-have! This book is a great satirical comedy of sorts based upon her friends' lists of the how-to's in LA. It gets even better as you read on! Even though funny, I'm not talking slap-stick funny, but funny in the right places.
    Meet Courtney Hamilton, no, not the author! A character in the story! (There you go! What author uses her own name as a character in a book?!!) She is single, a Litigation Attorney, and dating in LA. Among her friends, Courtney cannot be herself, but is expected to follow the 'plastics' (although they talk about and diss those who have done the plastic themselves, too, but would never dare admit theirs! In fact, they accuse Courtney of having some done, and she does not like that!)
    She was instructed by her friend's lists starting with 'The L.A. Eco-Chain of Dating List of who to date and how. It is the 'who, money, pre-nup's, money (again), The Good, and The Bad'. There is another list of "How to Be an Imperialist Resident of the Westside of Los Angeles, C.A.", or better yet, it's the "How to Marry Up the L.A. Chain of Dating". LA also has a Celebrity Royalty list, too, the who, the how to or not to talk but knowing when to talk and what to talk about to whomever according to how the celebrity tiers list applies to! This list gets even more detailed from here. Lists, lists, lists to live by!
    Another important list also includes who your parents are/were, the schools you attended (or were lucky enough to have your parents get you into or not), what your religion is/was, the college you went to, and how much further you went in education from there as well! Whoever would have thought dating and your social life in general revolved around all these lists!
    Courtney is currently dating Frank, and while at dinner, which she will probably have to pay for again because he always seems to forget his wallet at home for what seems like on purpose! Frank has an agenda. He is finally going to propose to her! Instead, Courtney needs to be finding her little niche where she fits in as herself amidst all of these lists, her friends, and her love of Velveeta Cheese she cannot live without! Yes! Courtney is the rebel amongst her friends because of the fake cheese - Velveeta Cheese! I LOVED it!
    You can see the character growth so much in Courtney as the story progresses. Her friends pretty much stay behind her, but she blows them out of the water with the way she grows, and no, it's not her forever therapy she's been in that does it, but SHE does it all on her own! It's great! This is a must-read!
    I found this book absolutely hilarious in the beginning! I was laughing SO hard! The humor between her and her mother was non-stop! It was beyond funny, it was cracking up funny! I was sitting here all by myself and reading, then all of a sudden I was cracking up hysterically out loud! I wish she would have kept up a few more scenes of this type of humor more through the book! I kept waiting for it, but it didn't come back as much as I would have preferred it to like it was with Mom/Julia. You'll find out about the Mom/Julia 'thing' in the book, too!
    I can say with all the idiosyncrasies of the people and issues at hand, this book will lift your spirits unlike any other I have read in a very long time!
    Overall, this was a great book and really takes your mind off your dating life, or remind you of dating in the past or present, for sure! Dating in LA is brutal! I am definitely glad I did not grow up and date there!
    Pick up a copy of this book and be transported to where we have Royalty here in the US, too! The celebrities! It's so well-worth the read! It's enjoyable, unbelievably true, and all around an excellent book to read! You'll be glad you read it! Read slow, though, so you can absorb every little detail! Or, read it a second time, too! I received this book for FREE from the Publisher, Forrest Thompson Publishers through NetGalley and the author in exchange to read and write a review about it. It is NOT required for this review to be either positive or negative, but of my own honest opinion. "Free" means I was provided with ZERO MONIES to read this book nor to write this review, but to enjoy the pure pleasure of reading it. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.


    About The Author of Almost Royalty, A Romantic Comedy…of Sorts
    Courtney Hamilton has worked in Hollywood with writers, directors, executive producers, actresses and actors in the entertainment industry in L.A., Las Vegas and New York, including Golden Globe and Emmy winners in television and feature films (particularly in the humorous fiction, humor romance and women’s fiction genres). Based in Los Angeles, California, Hamilton is a keen observer of L.A. Royalty and southern California society (which many consider a romantic fiction of its own).Almost Royalty is a fictionalized satire of Los Angeles social classes and especially those who aspire to be part of the city’s A-Level Royalty.

    Make sure to come back THIS Monday, June 2nd, 2014

    You'll get to kick off the new month with this New Release by debut author, Courtney Hamilton, with a GREAT EVENT! Today - this is my review of this book, but on Monday, June 2nd, that date kicks off a Blog Tour/Book Blast of this book but with a catch! Many bloggers have offered to write about our 'own' Worst Date Ever! You'll get to read stories about our worst dates in an article! And boy do I have a doozy for you! You'll be dying with my worst date ever story that really DID happen! Unbelievably true, I swear!
    I'll have even MORE INFO about this book on Monday, too! See you then!

    Friday, May 30, 2014

    #ArmchairBEA for Friday, May 30th! My Topic of Choice - "THE #TRILOGY" #MG and #YA!


    Welcome to Friday's #ArmchairBEA! As you can tell all through this week my posts are later in the day than most. I am a night owl, not by choice, but because of my husband working afternoons. He gets home anywhere from midnight to 2:30am, so needless to say, bedtime for us can be as late as 5:00 or 6:00 AM! By the time he gets home, grabs a bite to eat, we visit and catch up on the day, watch a little TV to relax (I read!), then it's finally bedtime! Therefore, my posts are posted much later than the rest of yours! They DO get done!
    Here are the two topics for today:

    Topic of Choice
    Today is the day to talk about something that you feel we have missed or that you want to spend a little extra time chatting about. Ideas include, but are not limited to: a genre that does not fit into those featured earlier this week; logistics, such as blogging resources, procedures, or advice; or something completely fun with book to movie adaptations or favorite blogging games, features, memes, events, and/or activities. It’s your freebie day to choose what you like!


    Middle Grade/Young Adult

    Our final genre of discussion is one that we know is a popular one these days: books for the younger crowd, from middle grade to young adult. If you do not normally talk about this genre on your site, maybe you want to feature books that you remember impacting you during this stage in your life. If this is where you tend to gravitate, maybe you want to list your favorites, make recommendations based on genres, or feature some titles that you are excited to read coming later this year.


    My Topic of Choice: The Trilogy
    My topic is going to be more on the serious side of things today instead of a lighter one. Some of you may hate me after what I have to say, and some may agree with me. Many of you may be thinking the same thing as I am! I am not trying to sway people in what to write with what I have to say here, but I do suggest it. I am not after winning people over to like me or not like me, it's something that has been on my mind a lot lately as I browse through the new/newer books available of late, and I do feel it needs to be addressed. I think this is the perfect medium and time to address this topic. This is of my opinion ONLY. No one has influenced me to say my thoughts, it's just what I think as I see so many trilogies out there. It's eating away at me, and I'm going to get it off my chest and see what some of you think about it, too. 
    Trilogies were nice. Trilogies were fun to read. I used to like Trilogies.
    Why am I saying the word 'were'?
    I hate (hate is a strong word, so I should change it) I do not prefer to read Trilogies anymore, unless it's by a favorite author or authors of mine, or if those authors suggest a Trilogy to me, then I will give it a try, but on my own, I will not read any 'new' authors who write trilogies. I'll get to 'the why' in a moment. Right now I will stick with my tried and true, BEST and FAVORITE authors of mine! I LOVE +Colleen Hoover  +Cora Carmack +K A Tucker (she didn't pop up?). I just realized they are a trio of authors! LOL!!!! Yes, they are known for writing Trilogies, but when they wrote them, trilogies had not taken over the market (saturated it with trilogies is more like it) by Independent Authors who have self published like it has now. It is ALL I seem to run into in almost every book as I browse around.
    Why do I not like trilogies anymore, you ask?
    With the advent of ebooks, and now the tried and true LOVE of ebooks, (I do love them) and with the success of the trilogy, I believe that is why currently it seems as if almost EVERY new independent author out there who has self published a new book now is part of a trilogy! There is an 'influx' of trilogies! Trilogies have overtaken every style of book written in every genre! Trilogy here, trilogy there, oh, and over there!
    Almost every book seems like it is a trilogy, or, it leaves a book hanging open ended with reviews all saying so, and some of the reviews stating things such as "I think this book is going to become part of a trilogy because of the ending, and, the author cannot leave the book that open ended, or, I hope the author writes another book to bring closure to this book'. Those are not specific quotes, but phrases I've seen in reviews. The most common phrase I read in reviews are about leaving open ended books which leaves the readers hanging, wondering, pondering the 'why' the author did that? Since I've been blogging now for 4 years, I have seen how the ebook market has grown. I've been a part of it, too, but now, as I browse through ebooks anymore, before I even go to click on a title, in the back of my mind now I am wondering if this book is going to be part of another trilogy and at the same time I'm hoping it's not going to be, and when the book opens up on Amazon, I see what I expected. It IS a trilogy. Just what I thought. Not a stand alone. A Trilogy. Again. Another Trilogy. It's almost as if it's expected that authors write trilogies now. (I have not heard the Readers crying out for trilogies.) It seems like every new book I click on is Book 1 of 3, Book 2 of 3, Book 3 of 3, or, the best part, it can be read as a stand alone but is a part of a trilogy. Now why would an author write a book that can be read as a stand alone even include it in a trilogy if it doesn't add to the subject matter of the 'supposed trilogy'? This now would be a 'Stand Alone'. If the book can be read as a stand alone, then 'why' is it part of a trilogy??? Or, how about those trilogies that don't even include the same characters or even the same subject from the first book such as what I just mentioned, but even further off from Book One and has nothing in common with Book One? They are completely different! (Ugh! As I shake my head back and forth about a hundred times when I notice that!) 
    What happened to ONE book, ONE 'Stand Alone' novel. One story being told? A lot of these books in trilogies ARE stand alone novels, but the author tags them as a 'trilogy' when obviously they are not!
    WHY the influx of trilogies? I am so overwhelmed with trilogies, seeing them, having to decide if I want to invest the time, money and energy into a trilogy, (besides my favorite authors), my answer is NO! I do not want to invest my time, money and energy into a trilogy, or a set of three books that don't even have anything to do with each other. HOW is that a trilogy, I ask?
    What is this? The decade of Trilogies? Are new authors supposed to write Trilogies? Is there some new type of instruction for writers that they should aim to write the American Trilogy? Okay, that made me laugh because at one time or another almost every one of us reading this has probably dreamt of writing the 'great american novel' of all time! I have! I admit it! Instead, the new authors present to us, the trilogy!
    I look at the big publishers books, and I do not see this influx of "ALL" Trilogies by new authors. I see Stand Alone novels, and those are the kind I prefer, and I am speaking for other people here, but I think most people 'do' prefer a stand alone novel, especially with the way we live our lives today. Children, husbands/wives, jobs, trying to have some time to ourselves to indulge in other things as well that they don't typically want to be hooked into reading a trilogy. A series, yes! A trilogy, no. 
    You have to admit when you compare the books between the publishers to the independent authors who have self published on Amazon or other places that the trilogy is more popular among that independent authors on Amazon or Smashwords rather than the publishers authors.
    My opinion is if a book needs to be longer, so be it, make it longer, but make it ONE book! This one book has an 'end' at the end of it! No cliffhangers, or if a cliffhanger, make it a darned good one, one to think about!
    I guess I don't understand (but in a way I do) the 'why' of a Trilogy? Why is the trilogy SO popular among independent authors who have self published their books 'as of late'? Why can't we find new promising debut authors writing Stand Alone novels like they do with the publishers?
    My opinion: write ONE book, from there, go on with another stand alone. That is always the way it used to be, and still should be instead of the indie author market being flooded with all these trilogies, or books that can be read as a stand alone but are part of a trilogy (that just blows my mind!) I don't understand it. This can be bad for the independent author because it can send people back to the publishers books looking for stand alone novels because the market is currently saturated with trilogies. Or is this just 'me' who feels this way?
    Look at 50 Shade of Gray. How many times, and how many possible ways are there to use ONE pair of handcuffs as you hear the last click of it? Is there character development in this set of three books? Sure! More sex, or different techniques! Do they emerge often enough from those four walls where everything goes for character development to occur inside of three books? I'm not to sure, but I have heard the answer to that is a big 'no' from other people who have read the trilogy. No, I have NOT read that trilogy. Erotica is just not a genre I enjoy reading when there are other genres screaming my name and beckoning me! Pun intended!
    Is it because a new author may not have enough confidence in their writing ability, or, are they insuring they get return readers, or appeal to new readers? (This is where you'll probably want to slap me. Go ahead.) Does the new author want to ensure they make more money by writing a trilogy? Sure! Don't we all! It is the same way for other professions, too, for sales people, or any business for that matter, and it is to make money. There is nothing wrong with, it is just the way anyone goes about it. If your trilogy cannot keep ALL of the characters involved throughout, then why is it a trilogy? Or the subject matter. If it changes, then why is it a trilogy? Everyone wants repeat business, but in the other professions besides writing, the trilogy does not exist. One product exists and maybe just in different sizes and shapes, or scents, or many different products exist. However, in the writing profession, is the trilogy truly the way to go about securing REPEAT/RETURN readers? I say this because that is what I am starting to think about when I see so many trilogies, or, only trilogies because every books seems to be a part of a trilogy. I am starting to think, 'Oh, this author wants return readers! They have ensured that with their open ended book!' Perhaps it's in hopes of making more money? Everyone loves to earn more money, and that is okay, but make the books a TRUE trilogy! The definition of the word "Trilogy" is as follows from this Google search HERE:

    tril·o·gy
    ˈtriləjē/
    noun
    1. a group of three related novels, plays, films, operas, or albums.
      • (in ancient Greece) a series of three tragedies performed one after the other.
      • a group or series of three related things.
        "a trilogy of cases reflected this development"

    From what I am reading in the reviews of trilogies, the authors are NOT staying true to the definition of the word, trilogy. 
    Does it have to do with where is the confidence go in writing ONE Stand Alone novel? ONE book, ONE story? ONE novel, so make it a trilogy to cover all bases?
    I guess what upsets me so much about some trilogies out there is the next book in the trilogy when it is a completely NEW story or can be read as a Stand Alone! What happened? I thought it was going to be about the same characters? A part two and part three with character development. Where did that go? 
    +Melissa Foster is notorious for her OUTSTANDING work as a Stand Alone author! She is a New York Times Best Selling author! She has seven (or maybe 8?) stand alone novels, and now she has gotten into writing 'series' now. She has 3 series, (yes, one of the series IS a trilogy, Snow Sisters, I will admit that, but who knows if she's done writing that series? I say that because of the number of books in her other two series and the fact she has 'never' used the term of trilogy for these three books.) and her other two 'series', The Remingtons and The Bradens goes as far as nine books as of this moment! Look at +Kathy Reichs (I hope that is the right person? Long story, my hard drive in my computer is replaced, but I can't get into Google+ on this computer and I cannot use my computer yet as something needs to be installed first so I can't verify Google+ at this moment so please forgive me if I have chose the wrong person here on Google+) Kathy Reichs has a total of 20 or 21 'Temperance Brennan' books out, and I LOVE Temperance Brennan! (These are the books that the television series, Bones bases it's weekly seasonal shows on). I LOVE Temperance Brennan! I love series! This character has grown from the first novel to now. How about Patricia Cornwell, Janet Evanovich, James Patterson with Alex Cross and his other Co-Authors who write series.
    Perhaps this is the FIX to the problem of the trilogy that does not read as a trilogy after all! Perhaps the new authors should be writing a "SERIES" instead of a trilogy! Ta,da! Now that, I would buy and read to my hearts content like I do with the authors I just mentioned!
    Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts!
    Laurie

    MIDDLE GRADE:
    I don't read Middle Grade. I don't have kids that age anymore. I have tried reading them to the kids here in my neighborhood, but when one of the kids misses a chapter or two, come back, they are lost and all the kids are filling him in during which time takes away from how long they can be here, outside, listening to the story! LOL!!! So, I had a fail! I'll try again! Other than that, that is as far a I get with this genre, and I'm not really interested in it.
    Thanks!
    Laurie

    YOUNG ADULT:
    Oh! There are some GREAT stories in the YA genre! Wow! The last book I read in this genre is The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, and I had red, swollen eyes for 2 days! It was hard to read it because my eyes were so blurry from crying!
    I don't read and review this genre intentionally, and I do turn it down when authors ask me to review it. I just think there are much better reviewers for this genre than myself, bloggers who enjoy this genre much more than I do.
    It won't stop me from reading it every now and then! It does happens occasionally that I find a great book in this genre and I have heard great things about some books! I will read those books occasionally, but when I am asked to review this genre, no, I do not. I am 47, I 'just' got done with getting my daughter through this age, and wow! That was NOT easy! Now my son is 16-1/2, and HE is going through it! I cannot read it as a parent - at this time! I am LIVING IT! LOL!!!
    Thanks again for taking the time to read what I have to talk about!
    Laurie
    This does not stop me from reading a YA book the next time an amazing story comes along, though! I don't think I'll EVER forget The Fault in Our Stars! Amazing!!
    I review Adult Fiction. I like it more so because it fits my age much better than YA, and it is my choice. . Sometimes I wish we 'could' go back in time (I do enjoy some Time Travel!) and relive our lives in certain places! LOL! Wouldn't that be fun!
    Thank you SO much for reading what I have to say today!
    Laurie