Our keeper books: 'On Writing,' 'If Only in My Dreams' and 'It Had to Be You'
Today's featured authors: Kathleen Bittner Roth, author of Alanna; Sierra Donovan, author of No Christmas Like the Present; and Lynn LaFleur, author of Flaming Hot. They're sharing books that are on their keeper shelves.
Kathleen Bittner Roth, author of Alanna
Three books on my keeper shelves:
• Stephen King's On Writing is one of my favorite non-fiction books on my keeper shelf. King doesn't plot. Instead, he gives his characters full rein to tell the story their way, then fleshes out the fine points later. This is also my style. I once took a craft class where I was required to plot my story in detail. I was miserable. I quit the class and actually considered giving up writing. Then I happened upon this book. King made me want to write again. My way. Whenever I pick up this little tome, I whisper a silent, "Thank you."
• Laura Kinsale's Flowers from the Storm is my go-to book if my writing bogs down. The author's smooth, elegant style reawakens my sleeping muse, fills my heart and makes me want to slip back into my own storytelling world. In my opinion, her flawless pacing, beautiful, emotionally wrought prose and deft characterizations make this one of the best romance novels ever written. Her stories live on forever in my heart.
• Slow Heat in Heaven by Sandra Brown is a steamy, temperature-rising contemporary set in a sultry Southern town that pulled me in hard and deep from the very beginning. The chemistry between a hot, illegitimate bad boy and the daughter of a wealthy landowner sizzles from the moment they connect. Brown is so clever with her subtle descriptions, before I knew it, all of my senses kicked in, and I swore I could smell the soggy banks of the bayou.
Here's the blurb about Alanna:
Wolf caught the faint scent of cinnabar and roses.
The girl turned her head and stared boldly at him, her cool demeanor at odds with the fire in her look. And then her lips parted, as if she needed more air. A punch of lust hit Wolf's groin.
There was pure sin in his startling blue eyes.
The moment hung suspended between them, and then expanded as his feral gaze held hers. Stranger? Not to Alanna. He went by the name of Wolf, and he was a legend in these parts, known from San Francisco to Boston as a relentless tracker of lost persons. His quest to find his mother's killer would lead him to Alanna...and his destiny.
In his arms, she would never be lost again…
Find out more at kathleenbittnerroth.com.
Sierra Donovan, author of No Christmas Like the Present
Three books on my keeper shelves:
In honor of the holiday season, I chose favorite Christmas-themed books. That helped me narrow things down … a little ...
• Recipes for Easy Living, Curtiss Ann Matlock. This beautiful, curl-your-toes read is one of several books set in Matlock's fictional small town of Valentine, Oklahoma. It centers on Corrine, the teenage niece of the heroine from the previous two books. She's been living with her Aunt Marilee, and sparks fly when Corrine's mother comes back into the picture. Fortunately, things have a way of working together for the good in Valentine. The book also gave me the recipe I now use for my yams every Thanksgiving!
• If Only in My Dreams, Wendy Markham. Three of my favorite things: time-travel romance, Christmas and the 1940s. An actress researching a film role accidentally goes back to the time and place her movie is meant to re-create. She meets and falls in love with a man she knows is destined to be killed in World War II. The characters are wonderful, the story is charming and poignant and the ending is truly satisfying.
• A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens. The definition of a timeless classic. The author got his wish: His Christmas ghost story haunts my house pleasantly every holiday season.
Here's the blurb about No Christmas Like the Present:
Lindsay Miller is knee-deep in Christmas cards and homemade fudge, but she's never felt more like a Grinch. Why can't Christmas be full of magic, like in her favorite movie, A Christmas Carol…?
…Enter Fred, a sexy and eccentric stranger who arrives at Lindsay's door out of the blue. Dressed like he just stepped out of a Dickens novel, complete with British accent, Fred claims he's a Messenger, sent from "Headquarters" to help her discover the joy of Christmas. But is Fred an angel from above—or just stone cold crazy?
Fred's used to dealing with skeptics. Telling a stranger you've been ordered to inspire holiday cheer is a tough sell. But there's a further complication. Fred's mission is to help Lindsay right the wrongs from her past that have been holding her back. But somehow along the way, they've become wildly attracted to each other—and falling in love is not part of the plan. Fred only has 'til the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve to guide Lindsay to the magical future she deserves—even if it's a future without him…
Find out more at www.sierradonovan.com.
Lynn LaFleur, author of Flaming Hot
Three books on my keeper shelves:
• It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. I'm a huge football fan, so this book hooked me right away with its football theme. Ms. Phillips' humor is always a treat to read. And the poodle, Pooh, was a wonderful secondary character.
• I remember the first time I read Sweet Memories by LaVyrle Spencer. I reread it again almost immediately and have reread it several times over the years. The story of a shy woman opening up and learning to love is so touching. And talk about a hero! He's patient and loving and absolutely amazing.
• For my third keeper book, I have to pick the entire Black Dagger Brotherhood vampire series by J.R. Ward, as it's impossible to pick only one book. Ms. Ward's writing grabbed me by the throat and dragged me into her world, and I'm thankful it did. Action, adventure, heroes and villains, hot sex, tender moments between people deeply in love … the series has everything a reader could want.
Here's the blurb about Flaming Hot:
Big and bold, strong and sexy, the firefighters of the Lanville, Texas, Volunteer Fire Department know how to turn up the heat…
Fiery
Sparks fly the moment Eve and Quade meet. Fear of heartbreak makes them wary but neither can deny the scorching waves of desire that leave them wanting so much more…
Flare
Paige wonders about Cort's past but she can't ignore the heat she feels inside every time he touches her. And things only get hotter when this sexy firefighter takes her to the heights of extreme carnal pleasure…
Flash
For years Kirk has kept a secret that not even his twin knows. But the arrival in town of a sexy newcomer turns up the heat and keeps the flames of passion burning all night long…
Find out more at www.lynnlafleur.com.