Looking Forward

The TBR List
Barreling ahead into 2016, I have a stack of books on my TBR shelf. My daughter has insisted I read Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. I'm surprised she liked it because it sounds pretty dark. I also read the first book in a steampunk series by Julia Knight. The Duelists Trilogy starts off with Swords and Scoundrels. It is the tale of a brother and sister, both flawed emotionally but very talented with a sword. The first book was fun and I look forward to the next two. I like how Orbit often puts out fantasy series by publishing one book per month instead of having to wait a year in between.

Our first measurable snow arrived last night. Quite a change from last year when we were buried in the white stuff. It was less than half an inch but enough to make the roads really slick. Not having any snow cover when the temperatures get really low can kill shrubs and perennials so I hope the temperatures stay warm or we do get a little more snow. Never expected to say that after last year.

Fun Fact from The Old Farmer's Almanac:
Walking a mile through 6 inches of snow is the same as walking 2 miles on bare ground.

My daughter went back to Boston to start her last semester at college on Monday. She left a week early to start an internship with a refugee resettlement nonprofit. Her heart is as wonderful as her GPA. But I miss her. This was our last winter break when she had no responsibilities and we could stay up late watching movies, eating popcorn and drinking wine. I do want her to get a job as soon as she graduates but it all went by so quickly. This purple desk chair is the one she would pull up to my writing desk so we could work side by side. It's unlikely we'll do that anymore but I'm keeping the chair in the room. Just in case.

My big wooden rocking chair usually sits on my front porch where I read and sometimes write and blog. I love it too much to leave it outside so I always drag it inside for the winter. It makes a comfortable seat on the porch but not so much inside for some reason. Probably because I have cushioned seats not far away. But I do miss those evenings on the porch at this time of year.

Happy Birthday, Ben
Benjamin Franklin's birthday is coming up this Sunday and it is the time of year we all dread. Tax time. Being self-employed, my husband and I suffer the double whammy of complicated filing and paying in beyond what was already deducted. Sigh....

"In the world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." Benjamin Franklin

Any book series you're looking forward to this year? Do you like walking through snow or are you more into the joy of shoveling it? Do you do your own taxes?

Insecure Writer: Read More=Write Better

I don't know any writers who also don't love to read. Probably lots of writers even enjoy reading more than writing, especially when they're stuck on a plot point or in the middle of dreaded editing. Like many writers, I have numerous projects going.  I have a book coming out in about ten days. I'm busy getting my second book in my epic fantasy series out into the world of online retail.  I want to make even more new friends through insecure writer....you get it. Lots of stuff. And that's only my writing work. Lets not get into the coming holidays and my house being the only one on the blog with no outdoor lights up yet.  Or the day job.

But I have a stack of books from the library I want to read.  I have friends putting out new books nearly every week I want to read. My son bought the first two books in a fantasy series I'm dying to read. And yet there's the guilt of all those hours with my nose in a book instead of my fingers on the keyboard. We all feel it when we indulge when work awaits.  But we also all know that to be a good writer, we need to read. 

I believe we need to read alot and widely.  I write epic fantasy and fantasy romance, yet I read all kinds of stuff.  I love suspense. I'm a bit of a science nerd so I like to delve into scifi.  I really want to travel to the stars especially since I read in the paper today that scientists are pretty sure there are lots of other worlds out there capable of sustaining life as we know it.  I like historical fiction. Some of my favorite authors write mystery and keep me up to all hours reading.

I know reading these various genre, reading famous authors and newcomers, reading YA and adult, all this will help me in my own writing.  So put the guilt away and think of reading as a form of study and education, making you a better writer.

So how big is your TBR pile and will you be pulling a book off of it anytime soon?  Do you feel guilt when you read during your writing time?

What About Me?

Does that title sound like a country song?  I want to thank the four fine authors I featured this week on my blog.  I hope their interviews sparked your interest in some of their exciting books already released and some yet to come.  Today I want to talk about me. 

All of my romance books are available on Fictionwise.  I have two romance series, The Chronicles of Solonia and The Tigers of Salubria. 
The Chronicles of Solonia is a complete series, starting with The Greater Good and continuing with The Lesser Evil, A Ruthless Good and ending with One Good Woman.  Every book in this futuristic romance series received excellent reviews. 
The Tigers of Salubria is a fantasy tale of a group of legendary warriors and opens with To Tame a Tiger.  The second book, Tiger's Mate will be published sometime in 2011. 
Most readers of this blog are more familiar with my fantasy series, The Futhark Chronicles.  The Keepers of Sulbreth is available at most retail bookstores, big and small, in print and ebook.  It also has received nothing but excellent reviews as the first book in an epic fantasy series or as a YA title.  The second book, Beyond the Gate, is due for release tomorrow.  Amazon has been a little slow getting it up on their website but Barnes and Noble has it available as do some other ebook sellers. 

So load up those eReaders with some great reading.  I hope you enjoyed meeting my friends and perhaps visited their blogs as well.

So what books have you read during the Christmas break? Have you shrunk the size of your TBR shelf or grown it higher?  (Is that correct grammar? LOL)  At least with my eReader, my TBR shelf is invisible to all but me.