Oct
Discovering new authors
I have recently discovered two authors that I’ve never read before. They are both very popular authors and I couldn’t tell you why I’ve never read any of their books except that I have so many auto-buys and a good sized TBR pile as it is. After reading them, I’m scratching my head wondering why it took me so long!
The first author is Julianne MacLean. What an amazing author! She writes some of the most endearing and emotional books I have ever read. I can certainly tell that she puts her heart and soul into every book she writes. Michelle and Isabel kept telling me how wonderful Love According to Lily and Portrait of a Lover was, so I finally gave in. Except that I’m the type that doesn’t like to start in the middle of a series if I can help it, so I bought and read all of the American Heiress series. The first three books in the series are about 3 American sisters who come to England to snag a title and hopefully true love. The next three books feature related characters. The last book of the series, Surrender to a Scoundrel, comes out in January. All are fantastic and I highly recommend them! Julianne MacLean is a definite auto-buy for me now.
The other author is Laura Lee Guhrke. I’m currently in the second book of her four book series and again, what an amazing author! I absolutely loved Guilty Pleasures and am currently reading His Every Kiss, which features a hero with the same name as my son - Dylan. Laura Lee Guhrke writes some dynamic tension between the her and heroine that absolutely rock the pages! Again I ask myself, where have I been? LLG is now a definite auto-buy as well.
So, have you recently discovered a new-to-you author that you absolutely adore and that makes you wonder what rock you’ve been living under? Please share as I’m up for more recommendations! LOL!
Well, due to a busy schedule I don’t get to read at all as much as I’d like to the past couple of years, so I’m way behind on my reading.
However, I can’t stop buying books, because I DO want to read them whenever I can get the time.
In fact, I started a book last night before going to bed, and I couldn’t put it down. I was up until 4am reading, and I had to get up at 7.30!!
My TBR pile is just growing and growing, and I’m getting more and more frustrated about not having the time to read all these authors whose books are being recommended to me *lol* You guys keep recommending stuff, and I keep buy ing it
My TBR pile is now not as much a pile as it is an entire bookcase, boosting 200+ unread books. (I wasn’t exagerating about the buying but no time for reading!)
So I can’t really recommend anything right now, since what I’m reading are still belated recommendations from you guys and authors visiting us
October 25th, 2006 at 12:22 pmEmily
Oh, Guilty Pleasures is one of my favorite all-time books!
I recently discovered Gaelen Foley and Judith McNaught. Yeah, I slapped my forehead wondering why I had not picked up their books sooner. LOL! I immiediately glommed all of GF’s books, and all of JM’s historicals (I’m not really into contemporaries). I’ve read the GF books and am anxiously awaiting the next one. And I am currently reading JM’s Almost Heaven.
October 25th, 2006 at 12:33 pmUm, that should be *immediately*.
Why doesn’t blogspot have an “edit” button? *g*
October 25th, 2006 at 12:35 pmLORETTA CHASE!!! Hel-lo! I’ve recently read Miss Wonderful, Mr. Impossible, and Lord Perfect and I’m never going back
October 25th, 2006 at 1:33 pmI continually get conned into buying new books. I guess I started reading Julianne MacLean because she’s Canadian and in the process found anouther really top-notch Nova Scotian: Deborah H. Hale. I find both these authors have a very lyrical, emotional style. The second book of Deborah’s books I read was set in a region that I’d never visited before in either books or real life. It’s set in 12th C Wales. I found it great and lots of fun to read and learned things about Wales and the wooden castles that were common before the Normans spread throughout the British Isles. Her books are set both in the U.K. and in North America.
Lacey, you know of course that Loretta Chase has written about a dozen other novels. I’m not sure why she took the long hiatus but she was absent from publishing for quite a number of years. She’s written some real classics.
October 25th, 2006 at 2:07 pmOff hand, I don’t remember the last time I read a new author to me. LOL I’ve either been rereading older books or reading new books for authors I already have read. But, in any case. . . upcoming for me are Pamela Britton’s Tempted, Amanda Quick’s Mischief, Teresa Mederios’s A Kiss to Remember, Emily Baker’s Luck of the Devil. . . ah, one of the last ones I reread was Pride and Prejudice (’cause we’re going to see the play on Saturday, so wanted to read the book instead of only thinking of Colin Firth. Sigh. . . like that’s a bad thing. . . LOL) and reread a number of Jacquie D’Alessandro’s to include a couple of new ones that I got before then.
October 25th, 2006 at 2:19 pmLois
Oh for me…J.R. Ward The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series! Hell-oooo! Earth to Michelle! It’s a modern day vampire series by this amazing author! Now be warned, she does use the F word, but the books just grab you and don’t let go! These heroes, and their wonderful ladies, you FEEL what they feel, you CARE about them, and I love that!
I never considered really reading vampire books till AM and TVWLM by Teresa Medeiros. Now, especially with it being so close to Halloween, I just can’t get enough of them!
So I’ve read the first two books in the BDB, and am half way finished with the third, with another coming out in March of next year. They are SO GOOD! I highly recommend them.
October 25th, 2006 at 2:52 pmLove According to Lily is one of my all time favorite books. I read LATL back to back the first time around. I have a second copy because the first one (I’m ashamed to say this…) has a broken spine.
I have LLG on my TBR pile can’t wait to read them.
Anyone here try Susan Elizabeth Phillips? If not, I recommend Match Me if You Can, it’s out on paperback now. It’s an emotional, fast paced and funny read.
Isabel
October 25th, 2006 at 3:10 pmRanurgis! Yes! I have Lord of Scoundrels to read next, and also The Lion’s Daughter. Can’t wait to dig up the rest! Thanks!
October 25th, 2006 at 6:00 pmAnd Loretta Chase is coming HOME to Avon next year.
Right back where she belongs.
October 25th, 2006 at 6:52 pmJacquie D’Alessandro was my find this summer. I know, I know. I’m sadly behind the times here. Her books are fabulous. SHE is fabulous: Have you seen her photos from RWA Atlanta?
October 26th, 2006 at 12:20 amI just finished reading Kimberly Logan’s Sins Of Midnight and loved it. I had bought a few of her books but kept pushing them aside for new releases or other “must reads” aka book review books but no more! She is now an auto-buy for me.
October 26th, 2006 at 6:20 amEmily ~ I hope you are able to cut that TBR mountain down to size soon.
Manuelita ~ I really liked Guilty Pleasures. I actually just finished His Every Kiss last night and cried! I agree, Gaelen Foley is superb. I’ve never read JM…hmmm…
Lacey ~ You know, I’ve never read Loretta Chase, but have heard nothing but good things about her. Thanks for the rec!
Lois ~ enjoy the play!
I’ve never read anything by SEP, but I did meet her. She is a super nice lady!
Michelle ~ More vampires, huh? Maybe I should take a walk on the wild side.
Isabel ~ Tsk, tsk, breaking spines…poor Lily. lol
Jenna ~ Thanks for the info!
Keira ~ I love Jacquie D’Alessandro. I actually still have her Whirlwind series in my TBR pile. I think I’m gonna move those up next.
Haven ~ I’ve read Kim’s AKITD and AKBD. I loved AKBD. There’s just something about childhood sweethearts. *sigh*
Thanks for all your comments and recommendations, ladies! I appreciate it!
Andrea
October 26th, 2006 at 7:08 amI know, Andrea *sigh* I cannot believe I admited to breaking a spine! SEP writes contemporaries, so when you’re ready you’ll be in for a treat
October 26th, 2006 at 9:09 amIsabel
I think broken spines are almost a better sign of a well-loved book. /Lacey ducks and runs
October 26th, 2006 at 2:54 pmLacey…the horror!! You’d better duck and run! LOL!
October 26th, 2006 at 3:46 pmI’ve decided to mosey. I like living on the edge
October 26th, 2006 at 6:45 pmThese are not recent finds but since nobody has mentioned them, they may not be so well-known. I love Tina St. John’s medievals but, unfortunately, she’s leaving that genre since they’re not selling very well. She had some great plots and characters and if I’m not mistaken, she won at least one RITA or at least an RT Award. I don’t know which genre she’s heading into.
Deborah Hale’s books are Harlequin Historicals up to now. So those can be bought only from e-Harlequin or used. I think it was she who just wrote in her newsletter that she’d written a 500-page book, though it might have been another author.
I enjoy Gaelen Foley very much too. Since our library didn’t carry all of her books, I’ve only read the series “The Knight Miscellany” (how’s that for a title?).
Another writer I really enjoy and with whom I’ve had some e-mail contact is Madeline Hunter. She just has a new book out in a new series but the title escapes me. One of her books was about a man who staged orgies and how he came to find the woman to love. That series starts with “The Seducer” and includes one of my favorite love stories of all time, i.e., the one that best expresses to me what love is all about. Madeline was quite surprised by my choice. Actually, so was I because I really didn’t like this one at the beginning. Just shows that you never can tell how a book will turn out and how it strikes one reader and another reader quite differently.
October 28th, 2006 at 5:25 pmThanks for these recs, ranurgis! I will be checking out Tina St. John and Deborah Hale. I love GF and actually have a couple of Madeline Hunter’s in my TBR pile. I think I’ll be moving those up! Thanks!
October 29th, 2006 at 12:31 pm