It has been one crazy week since the release of Practice Makes Perfect! I’m so thrilled that the book made the bestseller lists for both Borders and Amazon. And in fact, just today PMP moved up to #25 in the Borders contemporary romance bestseller list. Yeah!
So Rowena from Book Binge sent me this photo here, of Practice Makes Perfect and Just the Sexiest Man Alive in a bookstore in Torrance, CA. Aww… don’t they look cute on the shelf together like that? Thanks, Rowena, for the picture!
Practice Makes Perfect continues to do really well review-wise, too! Buffie Johnson over at Romance Novel TV just gave it 4 1/2 stars. She says she was “giggling and rooting [Payton and J.D.] on as they made sarcastic little digs at one another… [i]t all just made me smile.” And just yesterday, another reader, Elyssa, posted this on my Facebook wall after reading PMP:
Best. Book. Ever. Pitch perfect in every singular way. Loved, loved, loved it. I loved it so much, I went back and reread it (then went back to my favorites—hello, law library scene). By far, the best last line of a book.
Thanks, Elyssa! As an author, it’s so great to hear that people are enjoying the book!
Speaking of authors and readers, just yesterday I had coffee with two fellow (and fabulous) Chicagoans– author Beth Kery and Stacy of Stacy’s Place on Earth. We talked about books, blogs, Lori Foster’s Author/Reader get together, and had sort of an unusual encounter with another patron who apparently had been listening in on our conversation… I think Stacy plans to talk more about it on her blog (and she’s got photos of us!), so if you’re curious, you can drop her site to find out more.
So yesterday afternoon was coffee and great conversation about books, then I headed off to a wine-tasting with a friend where we talked more about books (she’s an English teacher), a lot about wine, and a ton of other fun things that naturally will come up when two women are drinking a lot of wine. Tonight I’m off to my book club meeting, which means, yep, more wine (I really don’t have a problem, I swear. It’s just a crazy week), and more fun. And with this month’s selection, I’ll bet there will be all sorts of discussion about the book. We read Me & Emma by Elizabeth Flock and, boy, does that book pack an emotional punch. About two sisters living with their abusive stepfather and emotionally distant mother, it’s definitely not a light read, but a very compelling one. Next up for me is Fragile by Shiloh Walker, and then Angels’ Blood by Nalini Singh. This will be my first book for both authors, and I’m really excited.
So I’m curious: do you have a lot of friends with whom you discuss books? When you read a good book, who is the first person you want to tell about it?
Oh– I almost forgot to mention– this week I’m hanging out at all sorts of fun places: on Wednesday at both Romance Reviews Today and What Women Read, and then Friday I’ll be at Jennifer’s Random Musings. Drop on by if you get a chance!
Yesterday was a lot of fun, but I’m thinking we need to do a wine-tasting next. Invite Michelle B and things will REALLY get interesting.
I primarily read romance and have since I was about 12, yet growing up, I’ve never had friends who read the same books. About 7-8 years ago, I finally joined the online community and discovered Lori Foster’s Yahoo group, and met several kindred spirits. Now I know several people online and more recently near home that I can talk romance with. If I read a good book, I will either tell Michelle Buonfiglio or Kati from Katidom, or now I’ll tell Marisa or Maria from RNTV since I now review for them. I love that they all understand that feeling of reading a story that you can’t stop thinking about 🙂
Great review by Elyssa btw. Once I finish Lisa K’s book, I think I’ll be reading PMP.
LOL! Stace, I was about to say the SAME thing! If I read a really good book, I blog about it either on my blog or at RNTV. And there’s no one who I love to talk romance with more than Stacy! I love, love, love when she comes to DC and we have dinner. The conversation is almost always in depth about whatever romances we’re reading, and it has been known to scandalize the waiter. We had a whole conversation that I could see the waiter “dipping” on where we talked about M/M romance and anal sex. I didn’t realize ’til we were almost done that he was listening in. Hilarious!
How cool that I’m mentioned! Like I wrote to Julie, what I said came straight from my heart. PMP is just one of those books that makes you want to reread it over and over again; it really has some of the best lines I’ve ever read. I think one of the many things I love about your writing is that I can actually tell you love what you’re writing.
The wine tasting sounds fabulous! And really nothing else is better than discussing books over a glass or two or three of wine. Since I’m a former English teacher and a writer, I love talking books. I usually share what I love with my CPs and the Eloisa James/Julia Quinn bulletin board since they’re all romance readers. (Of course, I’m telling everyone to buy your two books because they will simply love them.) I just bought Angel’s Blood, too. I’ve heard good things about Shiloh Walker but haven’t read her yet.
None of my friends are really big readers, and those that read don’t read romances. I blog about all the books I read on my blog and talk about books I’ve read with friends I’ve met on various blogs. My oldest niece and I read many of the same books. She is 17 and graduates from high school this year and loves to visit me so she can “borrow” my books ( she would keep them all if I would let her). I guess she is one of the first people I tell about a really great book and she will call me when she reads a great book.
I picked up PMP on Sunday and can’t wait to read it.
I don’t want to give anything away but I have a special review coming on Thursday about a wonderful book coming that is so going in my top 10 list for 2009.
Stacy: I would love to do a wine bar/tasting the next time! And yes, Michelle B. is definitely invited.
Kati: you crack me up– I’m picturing that conversation where you and Stacy scandalized the waiter. Too funny.
Elyssa: thank you!! And I love what you said about nothing being better than talking about books with someone similarly passionate over a glass (or two or three) of wine. Two of my favorite things, combined… ; )
Liza: I hear you about not having a lot of friends who read romance… although I’m slowly breaking them in. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that you enjoy PMP!
Katiebabs: OMG, now I’m just in a tizzy!! Thursday can’t come quick enough! I can’t wait to check it out– by any chance does this wonderful book have… hmm… say… two lawyers in it? ; )
Julie: There are some coffee spills and and a problem with some shoes in this read.
Hi Julie! Wow, sounds like katiebabs has got something nice in store for you.
I always talk about books with my sis. I was so sad when she moved away from the Chicago area, but we still spend hours on the phone discussing books and book ideas.
Stacy–I’m all up for finding how Michelle gets ‘interesting’ after a glass of wine. *grin*
Hi Julie!
I’m having fun visiting around with you this week as your book has come out. But even though I’m new to yours this week, I’m totally excited about them!
See I love getting recommendations for new authors for me to read. Its exciting! Its neat reading the different ‘voices’ and stories and just everything. When I read books, I often recommend them to my readers friends by chatting about them in chat rooms before chats begin and after, as well as open chats, on yahoo groups and my blog. I too email friends and tell them what I finished and what I recommend. See many reads were told to me by other readers! After a few years theres some readers that have the same interests as I do in books, then there’s some who I know really like certain genres/themes so I love catching books they’d may like. I guess you can say I love chatting about them as much as I love reading them!
I so do have both of yours on my wishlist! Its a joy meeting you and congrats on the second release! Did you celebrate? (You should for each one!!!)
Oh lord, Michelle + wine + book talk… hold on to your hats, ladies!
None of my local pals are romance readers. Actually, many of them like to mock my reading preferences (in the most loving way, of course.) It wasn’t until I jumped into the online community that I found others with whom to share book talk. Now I have Stacy and Michelle to drink and chat romance with, although not nearly often enough!
Julie, it was great meeting you today at the signing. I hope you got a chance to snag a copy of Dreaming of You before you left. I just finished Worth Any Price (Ms. Kleypas really is fabulous) and will be starting PMP tomorrow. Hot lawyer hijinx, here I come!
Hi Caffey! Thanks for dropping by! Isn’t the online community great! That’s where I get a lot of my recommendations, too. And yes, I did celebrate the book release! My husband and I went out to dinner the night of, and the following day Beth Kery and I went out for drinks– we’ve decided to make it a tradition for each book release (which I hope there will be many of for each of us.) ; ) And then yesterday I had my first book signing at a Barnes & Noble which brings me too…
Shannon! Hey there! It was wonderful meeting you in person yesterday. Thanks so much for coming. I just ordered “Dreaming of You”… I gotta check out the infamous Derek Craven. And I hear where you’re coming from, with your local friends not reading romance. Not a lot of mine do either. Although they seem to like my books, so I’m slowly trying to break them in… ; )
Hmmm, I thought I replied to this blog post but I guess not, dangit. But man, look at my picture taking skills, woo hoo!
It always makes me smile when I read awesome reviews of both of your books.