Romance Authors Night at VHOB - It Was So Much Fun!

Last night was a blast (I'm obviously a product of the '60's).  We all had so much fun with Joan Swan, Marina Adair, and Virna DePaul.  And get this - Joan came from the San Luis Obispo area, and Virna came from the Sacramento area (Marina only lives in Scotts Valley, but we all know Hwy 17 can be a bear during commute hours!).  How cool is that?

We started pretty close to 7:00.  We had a panel discussion with our 3 authors, and everybody in the audience piped up with questions along the way.  Our 3 authors even spent some time asking questions of each other.  After about 45 minutes, we ended the Q&A, and our 3 authors spent the next 45-60 minutes signing books and chatting with our audience.  And speaking of our audience, we had a number of distinguished local authors there - Hannah Jayne, Diana Orgain, Cassie Alexander, and Sonja Rouillard, who is coming out with her 1st book in a couple of months.

And let's not forget Romantiques.  Right after we ended the discussion with our 3 authors, Susan, the owner of Romantiques, and Debbie were there to sell the garments and products that they had brought earlier in the day.  We did have one mishap last night. Joni wrenched her knee when she tripped over a box that held "toys" from Romantiques. Let me just say that these products were not G-rated...or PG-rated...or...  But since it was an adult audience, it was all good.

So there you have it.  We couldn't have had a better threesome for our event.  Here are some pictures from last night:

Virna DePaul, Joan Swan, Marina Adair

Full House

Chatting After The Event

Tomorrow Night! Don't Miss It!

Okay, it's almost here.  Tomorrow night is our Romance Authors Night.  Joan Swan, Virna DePaul, and Marina Adair will be taking part in a panel discussion (emceed by yours truly - don't let that discourage you from coming), followed by Q&A from the audience.  Then, right after the Q&A, while the 3 authors are signing books, Romantiques will be presenting their trunk show.  Here is your chance to get an early start (and finish?) on Valentine's Day Shopping (the capital "S" is on purpose).  They will have a wide variety of garments and products to sell.

Here are your 3 authors for tomorrow night and their books that we will be selling:

Joan Swan

Virna DePaul

Marina Adair

      

The 1st VHOB Book Club - A Big Success

Last night was our 1st ever VHOB Book Club meeting.  We read The Oracle of Stamboul by Michael David Lukas.  Everybody liked it.  Out of 4, our average rating was 3.46, and nobody gave it less than a 3.0.  That's pretty darn good.

Here's how it went down:  Our meeting was scheduled to start at 6:30.  As is customary, some people came early, some on time, and some a few minutes late.  And what did we do when everybody got there?  We did what anybody would do in the same situation.  We ate and drank.  We had wine, water (no religious inference is meant here), hummus and pita chips, fancy candy, and home-made brownies by Joni (with melted Reese's on top!) that were pure evil.

Then we had our discussion.  We started by going around the room and getting an opinion of the book from each member, along with a rating.  Then we started flinging questions back and forth around the group.  It was, to say the least, very lively.  I think that everybody contributed and nobody dominated.  It was an extremely in sync (not 'nsync) group.

Right at 7:15, Michael came.  After we sent him to the buffet table, we attacked!  Just kidding.  We spent an hour asking him questions.  His answers were very illuminating.  He told us how he came up with the idea for the book.  It was actually very serendipitous. Fun story.  Then he told his thought process that went into the writing of the book.  It took Michael 7 years to write Oracle!  And after all that time, the book was bought by a publisher in a bidding war within one week.  Neat, huh?  We met with Michael for an hour and then, even though we were still going strong, had to cut it off so that Michael could sign books.  We didn't get out of there until about 9:00.  It was a great night.

Next up?  The Lost Saints of Tennessee by Amy Franklin-Willis.  We will be meeting on Tuesday night, February 18.  Be there.  Or not.  And remember - if you can't/don't want to be a part of the book club, I would still highly recommend that you read Amy's book.  It's excellent.  And if you don't want to be a member of the club, and you don't want to read the book, you can still come see Amy at 7:15.  So many options.

Tomorrow Night - The 1st VHOB Book Club/Author Meeting

Well, it's (finally) here.  The 1st meeting of the VHOB Book Club.  Tomorrow night at 6:30 the VHOB Book Club will meet at Village House of Books to discuss Michael David Lukas' The Oracle of Stamboul.  And then, at 7:15, Michael, himself, will be there to answer everybody's questions.

Two other important pieces of news about the book club/author event:
1.  YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE PART OF THE VHOB BOOK CLUB TO SEE THE AUTHOR.  In fact, we encourage everybody to come and see Michael.
2.  And this is REALLY important - there will be wine and snacks at the book club meeting (and probably even after our meeting is over)!

Here is the book cover and a picture of Michael.

2 Big Pieces of News for Upcoming Events

Greetings.  First of all, I told you I would let you know about the local lingerie store, Romantiques, and our Romance Authors Night, scheduled for this coming Friday at 7:00. Well, it turns out that Romantiques is going to have a trunk show immediately following the 3 authors' panel discussion and question-answering.  While the authors sign books, Romantiques will sell a wide variety of their garments to our audience.  Think of this as getting a jump on Valentine's Day shopping.  Romantiques will be selling their products from 8:00 until around 9:00.  How excited are we all?  I know I am!

As if that's not enough good news, we've got our April selection (Tuesday, April 15) for the VHOB Book Club.  It's Tracy Guzeman's The Gravity of Birds.  This book was my 10 most favoritest(?) book of 2013.  It's Tracy's debut novel, and it is excellent.  So, let me remind you how this works.  The VHOB Book Club will meet at Village House of Books from 6:30-7:15.  And then, at 7:15, Tracy will come to answer questions and sign books. Tracy appeared at VHOB with Meg Waite Clayton way back in November and does an excellent job of engaging an audience. And don't forget - the author's appearance is open to everybody, not just the book club members.

I'm exhausted from all of this good news.  I have to stop here.

SECOND REMINDER:  Make a comment on my Books of 2013 post and enter a drawing for your pick of the list(er).  I will keep the contest open until next Wednesday, Jan. 8.

Exciting Events at VHOB the Week of January 6

Boy do we have some fun stuff coming up next week.  Here's the lineup:

Tuesday night, January 7 - Our very 1st VHOB Book Club meeting.  We will meet from 6:30-7:15 to discuss The Oracle of Stamboul.  At 7:15, the author, Michael David Lukas, will be coming to answer questions and sign books.  Remember, his appearance is not limited to VHOB Book Club members.  Anybody can come.  In fact, there are books in the store now for purchase, and Michael will be bringing some extras.  Everybody is welcome.

Friday night, January 10, 7:00 - Our 2nd Romance Authors Night.  This one has a couple of twists to it.   First, it will be a panel discussion instead of the authors reading from their books.  Then we will have a Q&A, followed by book signings.  Here's the 2nd twist - we will be collaborating with a local lingerie store, Romantiques.  We're still working out the details.  Will there be a fashion show?  A trunk show?  
Discount coupons?  Don't know yet.  But stay tuned for details.  How cool is that?

Saturday afternoon, January 11, 2:00 - Our very own local grammy-nominated children's singer/songwriter, David Sharpe, AKA Papa Hugs, will be performing.  He draws big crowds wherever he goes.  He has put out 3 CD's, and they will all be available to buy. Don't miss him.

That's some lineup, if I have to say so myself.  Plan to come to some, or all, of the events. You will definitely NOT be disappointed.

CONTEST REMINDER:  As I mentioned yesterday in my Books of 2013 blog, if you comment on that specific post, you will be eligible to win your choice of any book on my list - ebook, print, or audiobook, your choice.

Books of 2013 (Catchy Title, Eh?)

2013 has come to an end.  And what a year it was.  I had 1-4.5 (which led to a list of my top 12 all-time), 6-4.0's, and 12-3.5's.  I also read 77 books but a little under 25,000 pages (1,000 less than 2012).  As always, I have listed all the books in order, with author, book, pages, and rating.  This will be followed by my top books of the year.  Take a gander.

Flynn, Vince - The Last Man - 433 - 3.5
DePaul, Virna - Shades of Desire - 378 - 3.0
Baldacci, David - The Forgotten - 422 - 3.0
Ivey, Eowyn - The Snow Child - 386 - 2.5
Ford, Jamie - Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - 285 - 3.5
Adair, Marina - Kissing under the Mistletoe - 286 - 3.0
Griffin, W.E.B. - Empire and Honor - 517 - 3.5
Coben, Harlan - Six Years - 351 - 3.0
Diaz, Sue - Minefields of the Heart (NF) - 152 - 4.0
Pavone, Chris - The Expats - 326 - 3.0
Randolph, Ladette - Haven's Wake - 238 - 2.5
Mishani, D.A.  - The Missing File - 289 - 2.0
Castner, Brian - The Long Walk (NF) - 220 - 2.5
Erdrich, Louise - The Round House - 317 - 3.0
Berenson, Alex - The Night Ranger - 387 - 2.5
Foer, Jonathan Safran - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - 326 - 2.0
Adair, Marina - Summer in Napa - 317 - 3.0
Margolin, Philip - Sleight of Hand - 309 - 2.5
Diffenbaugh, Vanessa - The Language of Flowers - 308 - 4.5
Gold, David - Carter Beats the Devil - 480 - 2.0
DePaul, Virna - Shades of Passion - 378 - 3.5
Coelho, Paulo - Manuscript Found in Accra - 190 - 2.0
Wecker, Helene - The Golem and the Jinni - 484 - 3.0
Solomons, Natasha - The House at Tyneford - 355 - 3.0
Bennett, Alan - The Uncommon Reader - 120 - 2.0
Lavigne, Michael - The Wanting - 318 - 2.5
Rose, M.J. - Seduction - 365 - 2.5
Dietrich, William - The Barbed Crown - 339 - 2.5
Bryan, Helen - The Sisterhood - 402 - 3.5
Haynes, Jasmine - What Happens After Dark - 329 (no rating - read with an eye toward editing)
Power, Henriette - The Clover House - 397 - 3.0
Burke, Alafair - If You Were Here - 358 - 3.0
Foster, Melissa - Traces of Kara - 294 - 2.0
Walls, Jeanette - The Silver Star - 267 - 3.0
Joseph, Jeff - A Novel Obsession - 219 - 2.5
O'Farrell, Maggie - Instructions for a Heatwave - 290 - 2.5
Sloan, Robin - Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore - 288 - 3.0
Hoffman, Beth - Saving CeeCee Honeycutt - 306 - 4.0
Atkinson, Kate - Life After Life - 519 - 2.5
Sussman, Ellen - The Paradise Guest House - 256 - 3.0
Picoult, Jodi - The Storyteller - 460 - 4.0
Baldacci, David - The Hit - 390 - 3.0
Clayton, Meg Waite - The Wednesday Sisters - 284 - 3.0
Spicer, Bev - Bunny on a Bike - 181 - 2.0
Mankel, Henning - A Treacherous Paradise - 354 - 2.5
Hoffman, Beth - Looking for Me - 354 - 4.0
Taylor, Brad - Enemy of Mine - 385 - 2.5
Danticat, Edridge - Claire of the Sea Light - 238 - 2.5
Sporleder, Steve - From Sleepy Lagoon to the Corner of the Cats - 332 - 3.5
Silva, Daniel - The English Girl - 473 - 3.5
Walter, Jess - Beautiful Ruins - 373 - 3.0
Raffel, Keith - The Temple Mount - 381 (see Jasmine Haynes above)
Jayne, Hannah - Truly, Madly, Deadly - 262 - 3.0
Orgain, Diana - Bundle of Trouble - 296 - 2.5
Guzeman, Tracy - Gravity of Birds - 294 - 3.5
Kirschman, Ellen - Burying Ben - 227 - 3.0
Rutlen, Carmen - Dancing Naked...In Fuzzy Red Slippers - 204 - 2.5
Franklin-Willis, Amy- The Lost Saints of Tennessee - 340 - 4.0
Petrocelli, William - The Circle of Thirteen - 324 - 2.5
Albom, Mitch - The First Phone Call from Heaven - 290 - 3.5
Piccinin, Toni - The Goodbye Year - 248 - 3.0
Swan, Joan - Rush - 384 - 3.0
Krueger, William Kent - Ordinary Grace - 306 - 3.0
Sporleder, Steve - Hobo's Ashes - 238 - 2.5
Patchett, Ann - This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage - 306 - 2.5
Archer, Jeffrey - Best Kept Secret - 373 - 3.5
Potter, Greg - Albatross - 360 - 3.0
Margolin, Philip - Worthy Brown's Daughter - 340 - 2.5
Fowler, Karen Joy - We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves - 308 - 2.5
Hafner, Katie - Mother Daughter Me - 259 - 3.5
Chessman, Harriett Scott - The Beauty of Ordinary Things - 142 - 2.5
Haynes, Jasmine - The Naughty Corner - 297 - 3.5
Andrews, Dr. Russell - Too Big to Succeed - 152 - 3.0
Moyes, JoJo - Me Before You - 369 - 4.0
Kerman, Piper - Orange Is the New Black - 295 - 3.5
Jackson, Nate - Slow Getting Up - 240 - 3.0
Adina, Shelley - Lady of Devices - 181 - 3.0
Fountain, Ben - Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk - 307 - 3.0
Barony, Beth - Henrietta, The Dragon Slayer - 225 - 2.5

Books - 77
Pages - 24, 973
Average pages/book - 324

So, in 2011 I had a top 6.  In 2012, there was a top 11.  And this year, believe it or not, there is a top 19.  Does that seem a little ridiculous?  Perhaps.  Am I getting soft in my old age?  Could be.  But what  can I do?  I've got 19 books that were 3.5 or higher.  It's not fair to penalize the 3.5's just because there are so many of them.  Oh, wait, it's my blog. I get to do whatever crazy thing I want.  Cool.  Here they are, in order:

The Language of Flowers, Vanessa Diffenbaugh - 4.5 (this is not a misprint)
The Storyteller, Jodi Picoult - 4.0
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, Beth Hoffman - 4.0
Me Before You, JoJo Moyes - 4.0
The Lost Saints of Tennessee, Amy Franklin-Willis - 4.0
Looking for Me, Beth Hoffman - 4.0
Minefields of the Heart, Sue Diaz - 4.0
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Jamie Ford - 3.5
The English Girl, Daniel Silva - 3.5
Gravity of Birds, Tracy Guzeman - 3.5
The Sisterhood, Helen Bryan - 3.5
The Last Man, Vince Flynn - 3.5
Orange Is the New Black, Piper Kerman - 3.5
Mother Daughter Me, Katie Hafner - 3.5
The First Phone Call from Heaven, Mitch Albom - 3.5
The Naughty Corner, Jasmine Haynes - 3.5
From Sleepy Lagoon to the Corner of the Cats, Steve Sporleder - 3.5
Empire and Honor, W.E.B. Griffin - 3.5
Shades of Passion, Virna DePaul - 3.5

The Community Service Award:  Our 2nd annual goes to Minefields of the Heart, Sue Diaz.  This book is the true story of a 3-tour of duty soldier in the Middle East.  What makes this so different is that it's written by the soldier's mother.  We get to see how incredibly rough it was for the family, not just the soldier.  It certainly opened my eyes wide.  Nice job, Sue.

CONTEST:  And also like last year, I will have a drawing for all those who post a comment on this blog.  The winner will have a choice of which of the 77 books he/she wants.  The winner can choose between print, digital, and audio.  Good luck, all.