On My Holds List (73)

My Librarian friend Jess from I Read to Relax came up with a great idea.  It's to highlight the books on hold at the library. I usually have 20-40 items checked out at the library and another 20 items on hold.

Cruel Beauty: Beauty and the Beast meets Graceling? YES - plus look at that cover

Manor of Secrets: Downton Abbey type read for teens!

Blackwell Pages:  Norse Gods and the end of the world - sounds exciting!

On My Holds List (72)

My Librarian friend Jess from I Read to Relax came up with a great idea.  It's to highlight the books on hold at the library. I usually have 20-40 items checked out at the library and another 20 items on hold.

This week, I"m putting award winning books on hold.

The Nazi Hunters

Splash of Red

Watermelon Seed

Locomotive 

Flora and the Flamingo 

What's On My Holds List (71)

My Librarian friend Jess from I Read to Relax came up with a great idea.  It's to highlight the books on hold at the library. I usually have 20-40 items checked out at the library and another 20 items on hold.

Reading Resolutions - might has well start off the year right

Soap Crafting: Nonfiction, which I need to read more of and this one looks great.

Foreplay: I've read a couple YA books that would fall into the New Adult category, but nothing strictly NA and Sophie Jordan's book seems like a great way to start.

Peach Pies and Alibis: I'm participating in a cozy mystery challenge! I really enjoyed the first book in this series.

What's On My Hold List (69)

My Librarian friend Jess from I Read to Relax came up with a great idea.  It's to highlight the books on hold at the library. I usually have 20-40 items checked out at the library and another 20 items on hold.

Blackberry Pie Murder: I love this series, excited for the upcoming book early next year.

Racing Savannah: Really enjoy this series - and love books about horses = double win.

Fantasy Drawing Workshop: This one is for work, but I'm kind of excited about it too, Trying to put together a Hobbit party.

What's on My Hold List (68)

My Librarian friend Jess from I Read to Relax came up with a great idea.  It's to highlight the books on hold at the library. I usually have 20-40 items checked out at the library and another 20 items on hold.

Little Red Writing: I met Melissa Sweet at the NELA conference this year and loved her. Excited to read more stories from her and more books illustrated by her.

Murder with Ganache: I really enjoy these Key West Food Critic mysteries - plus we had Lucy Burdette at the Otis Library this year!

Wrapped in Red: Not a book, I'm looking forward to listening to this CD. I heard good things about it on Twitter. And I love Christmas music.

What's On My Hold List (66)

My Librarian friend Jess from I Read to Relax came up with a great idea.  It's to highlight the books on hold at the library. I usually have 20-40 items checked out at the library and another 20 items on hold.

Today's theme: Children's book

Regarding the Fountain: Love their 43 Old Cemetery Road series and can't wait to read more by them.

Bad Kitty: I heard the author speak and he was awesome - need to read this series.

Journey: This looks really good, I can't wait to see the illustrations.

What's on My Hold's List (65)

My Librarian friend Jess from I Read to Relax came up with a great idea.  It's to highlight the books we read from the library. These are some of the books that are on hold for me at the library.

This week it's about sequels...

Just One Year: Recently I finished Just One Day and I need to read more!

Mad About the Boy: Love the Bridget novels.

Third Lie's the Charm: Great mystery series - can't wait for the conclusion!

What's on My Hold's List (64)

My Librarian friend Jess from I Read to Relax came up with a great idea.  It's to highlight the books we read from the library. These are some of the books that are on hold for me at the library.

Christmas Romance Edition - I LOVE Christmas Romance books! I look forward to them all year.

Sleigh Bells in the Snow: Great cover, plus it's set in Vermont and deals with marketing. Sounds great

Merry and Bright: Love the Lucky Harbor series - excited for a Christmas special.

Trouble with Christmas:  Christmas in small town Colorado will never be the same after Madison.

Never Desire a Duke: This Christmas might just ignite passion for this married couple

If You Like...(7)

At work, I made a few similar reads pins for our Pinterest page...

This week we're featuring Picture Books

The Reader: one of my favorite books from last year; it's the perfect kids book!

The Paper Bag Princess: and other books about strong girl characters who don't need to be rescued

The Polar Express: and other Christmas tales

What's on My Hold's List (62)

My Librarian friend Jess from I Read to Relax came up with a great idea.  It's to highlight the books we read from the library. These are some of the books that are on hold  for me at the library.

Secret Pizza Party: Loved Dragons Love Tacos, happy for a new book and who doesn't love pizza?

Lost in London: Looks super cute, plus love books in England

Eleanor and Park: I haven't read this because I don't want to have all the feels, but I think it might be time. I really want to read Fangirl, but I have to read this first!

What's on My Hold's List (61)

My Librarian friend Jess from I Read to Relax came up with a great idea.  It's to highlight the books we read from the library. These are some of the books that are on hold  for me at the library.

Taste of Darkness: I'm a huge fan of the authors and I loved the first two books in this trilogy.

Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit: I heard the actress/author speak at BEA and it sounded really great.

Library Mouse: Home Sweet Home: Love these books. 

Mysterious Saturday Spotlight: Lucy Burdette

This past week, I hosted an awesome event at the library: Cookies and Crime -with author Lucy Burdette. A group of teens and adults sat around in a circle and talked about writing, crime, and of course food. I had been to one of her release day parties at R.J. Julia's and it was fabulous - so I knew it was going to be a great night.

Lucy introduced her book series - including those under her real name: Roberta Isleib. She got started writing golf mysteries and she started playing golf because her husband liked the game. Her next series starred a clinical psychologist who wrote an advice column. As a psychologist  herself, Dr. Rebecca Butterman was closer in character to herself. Her current series features a young woman who makes her living as a food critic in Key West.

Writing about a food critic means that Roberta and her husband have try the local cuisine in Key West. It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it!  Roberta adds the flavor of Key West into her books. She told us about several entertainers in Key West.

She also talked about how her pets made it into her books, how she raffles off names of characters for charity, and how she makes Pinterest boards for the feel of the book, which sometimes helps the cover designers.

Because her books come out every 9 months, her writing process changes daily in terms of word count. She divides the time she has with a rough estimate of 70,000 words. Then she creates a weekly word count. Writing also happens on the two blogs:  http://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com/ and http://www.jungleredwriters.com/
And or course there's time for cooking and baking for the recipes included in her books.

Then we talked food and cookies!

Some photos:

Once Lucy started talking, I forget to take more pictures. I really wanted one together...next time!

The Book Table: if you haven't picked up one of these, they're great books!

The Cookie Table

Close Up of the Cookies