Category: Anna Karenina

What's On Your Nightstand?

03/24/2012

Since blossoming from half writer, half mad scientist with my atomic brain imploding as I typed away on my laptop to a published author, I've been blessed to receive a ton of free books! Feels like Christmas all year round. I received a few pre-published review copies of romance novels, a couple of YA novels still in the test run phase from big publishers, and a few autographed bestsellers. So, here is what graces my nightstand at the moment:

The Big Town by Monte Schulz
Monte Schulz is the son of the great Charles Schulz, creator of Charlie Brown and The Peanuts Gang. I had the pleasure of speaking with Monte at the San Francisco Writers Conference about my next book, The Last Day King, a fantasy/time travel romance rooted in Arthurian lore. Monte teaches a course in Santa Barbara about Character Point of Views, and after hearing multiple agents describe the criteria for what makes a novel a bestseller and advocating the use of limited POVs, Monte was very vocal in his stance that the writer should make their own decision about how many POVs are necessary to tell the story and not limit themselves to the standard three to five. It is refreshing to hear someone who thinks about the literature first and marketability second, rather than the other way around.

Love From A Heart by Teresa Le-Yung Ryan
Teresa is a formidable woman who brings to mind the word "powerhouse." I haven't had a chance to read her book yet but I already adore her as an author.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
An editor described my next novel, The New Orleans Way, as Anna Karenina meets Gone With The Wind, so of course I had to pick this one up. Strangely, I am picturing Stepan Arkadyevich as someone similar to Arnold Scwarzenegger. Well, there is the opening matter about the governess.

Snow Flower and The Secret Fan by Lisa See
Another autographed book I will cherish forever. Although her novels leave me a bit traumatized afterwards, I still come back. Her writing is like tequila.

Sanctuary Cove by Rochelle Alers
Category genre romance which I am always compelled to by but rarely holds my interest. Nice to know it's there for me, though.

How To Listen So The Kids Will Talk and How To Talk So The Kids Will Listen by Adele Faber
The kids are listening now so my bookmark has stayed on Chapter Five.

The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
I bought this book because I saw a picture of Tea Obreht and she is extraordinarily beautiful. Book's quite good as well.

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa
Another freebie from the Writers Conference. Kagawa's Iron Series is entertaining. It's like reading Lewis Carrol if he wrote while sober.

The Romance Sells Catalog
An Affinity for Shadows is featured in this catalog that goes out to 6,300 booksellers and librarians. Yet another move to get the book on the shelves at all national chains. This catalog is pure entertainment as there are a lot of category romances with funny titles. My favorite is Never Love A Logger. Now that's advice I can take to heart.

A Journal
The journal began with "Project Me" back in February as an effort to take off five extra pounds I've been carrying around. The five extra pounds were lost, but along came a nasty virus that had me eating saltine crackers, croissants, and cup o noodles everyday for about two weeks, so welcome back five pounds! I figured it's pretty pointless to start a diet before Spring anyhow. Our bodies really do need those winter coats.

That's it, besides some body cream, random notebooks and folders that I plan to get to someday. There was a time when I just had a television remote on my nightstand. Now I have all the channels I can handle in the way of books. Although I am still staring at the Song of Fire and Ice series, aka Game of Thrones, on my bookshelf. Someday, George R.R. Martin. Might be long after the next season is over, but someday. Having too many books to read is a very good problem to have.

What's On Your Nightstand?

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