Best Books to Read Now - 2017 Gift Edition

Because books are the best gifts. These books will inspire, educate and help your friend/ partner/ Aunt Sally have a great holiday.

Braving the Wilderness - Brene Brown

Seriously. I’ve been recommending this to all my friends. A must-read for anyone who looks around and thinks we could do better in how we relate to one another.

Amazon | | iBooks

Giant of the Senate – Al Franken

For those who like to laugh along with a fair and balanced (truly) look at politics. It shouldn’t ignite too much debate around the turkey. Also a good audio book to listen to in the car while driving to Aunt Sally's.

Amazon | | iBooks

John Adams – David McCullough

For the history lovers and the Hamilton fan in your circle, this biography of John Adams is an evergreen great read.

Amazon | | iBooks

Tools of Titans - Tim Ferriss

For fans of Tim Ferriss’ podcast, for self-improvement lovers and those who like all sorts of words of wisdom and hacks, this book is full of extensive tips and tricks for being your best self in 2018.

Amazon | | iBooks

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It! – Ree Drummond

Because everyone wants good, classic food. Perfect for hostess gifts, teachers, and Aunt Sally. (and me – my secret homemade cobbler recipe came from The Pioneer Woman blog… shhh…)

Amazon | | iBooks

Resisting Santa – Lindsay Emory

Um, my new release just came out! It’s a quirky holiday romance set in Mistletoe Key, Florida, where Christmas is celebrated 365 days a year -  like a Hallmark movie you can read in line at the post office.  Get one for everyone you love who needs a sugar cookie break!

And – for the month of November all proceeds from the sales of  RESISTING SANTA and BLUE CHRISTMAS, the second book in the Mistletoe Key world will go to hurricane relief. So get it, quick!

Amazon | | iBooks

Best Books to Read Now - October 2017

I didn’t post a list of books last month because for several strange reasons, I was overlapping a bunch of these – hence a bunch of books to recommend in October! WHeee!

The Look of Love – Julia Kelly

I was very lucky to get to read an early copy of this and once again, I’m blown away by Julia’s sweet, smart, sexy prose in the first book of this new historical romance series with a MATCHMAKER in SCOTLAND!! (I know, you just one-clicked that, right?)

Buy THE LOOK OF LOVE at Amazon || iBooks

King of the Sea – Madame de Boudoir

Out today! This is a paranormal erotic romance novella that made me gasp and laugh, too. Madame’s voice is fresh, intoxicatingly creative and the start of what should be an unforgettable new series featuring mermaids/ mermen and their loves through history.

Buy KING OF THE SEA at Amazon || iBooks

The Alice Network – Kate Quinn

Pretty much a non-fiction book disguised as fiction with effortless, suspenseful, thrilling prose. I’m obsessed with lady spies and recommending this to everyone.

Buy at Amazon || iBooks

Beard in Mind – Penny Reid

Another Winston Brothers installment, this time featuring the good-looking and good-natured Beau and the surly and sexy mechanic Shelly. We caught a glimpse of this couple in Cletus’ book and their story of overcoming illness to find love and family will kill you in a good way.

Buy at Amazon

Beginner’s Luck – Kate Clayborn

A debut that left me laughing, crying, and with a hurting tummy (from nerves! Were these two crazy kids going to work out?). For those who love STEM heroines, HGTV home renovation shows and real, fun contemporary romance. I’ve got Kate coming up on Women With Books next week so make sure you subscribe to hear our very cool conversation.

Pick it up at Amazon || iBooks

Unfortunately, I also had a DNF (did not finish) this month. It broke my heart to do as it’s not in my essential nature to give up on a book.  Do you ever stop reading before a book is over? Or are you a push-through-til-the-end kind of reader?

And have you read any of the books that I’ve recommended? If you have (or do) please let me know what you think – either on my Lindsay Emory facebook page or my Women With Books podcast page. I’d love to discuss books and what makes you read til the very end.

#RWA17 - #SquadGoals4Life

For some reason, this year’s post-convention wrap-up is particularly hard to write. 

RWA Nationals was last week in Orlando and it felt like a wonderful dream, one that I didn’t want to wake up from. 

Why?

My tribe, y’all.

Ride or Die Friends

The OG HBICs are my family away from my family. No one can empower me or make me laugh, cry, create like this crew.

So leaving them on Saturday? It hurt, to be honest. Physically.

More than these five ladies, I met and reconnected with more amazing kindred spirits - Frannie, Kate, Amber, Violet, Ainsley, Laura, Tamsen, Tina, Cheryl, Elizabeth, Kristin, Megan, and so many more.  In a world that so often encourages women to take each other down, to compete  with each other, to judge and to mock, for four days in July, women writers from all over the globe join together and talk about making the world a happier, more hopeful place.  And the women I met are at the vanguard of this bodice-ripping movement (in the most Diana of Themyscira way).

So, yeah. It was hard to leave this beautiful wonderland. 

So fun to celebrate Jeffe Kennedy's RITA win on the dancefloor!

Like all the HBICs, Alexis and Julia stayed until the music was over.

For one brief, shining moment, RITA was mine... until Cheryl Etchison took her away.

The best roomie ever - saved me from total disability.

Me & VonHottie singing beautifully.

Because dance parties. And golden statues. And sparkly shoes. And books. And best friends. These are the best things in the world. 

If you’re coming home from #RWA17 and want a game plan for working through all that you’ve got running through your head, subscribe to our HBIC Nation newsletter for an exclusive post-con workbook. Because we can change the world together. 

Best Books to Read Now: July 2017

Reminder/ Caveat/ Disclaimer: This is my (hopefully) monthly list of books I’ve read and enjoyed. These are not reviews, I do not include books I didn’t enjoy because life is too short to speak badly of books!

An Extraordinary Union - Alyssa Cole

Amazon | iBooks

This was totally my catnip book. Spies, Civil War, a woman with extraordinary mental abilities (the heroine has a perfect memory!).  A great start to a series and a great book to read during the patriotic season!

The Day of the Duchess - Sarah MacLean

Amazon | iBooks

In the middle of this, I was comparing it to my favorite Sarah Maclean, (Yes, I always mention it. Temple’s book, No Good Duke Goes Unpunished) because my heart was clenching in that oh-so-painful-but-good way and I realized it was because they’re both stories of second chance love.  There’s also more of SESILY, a secondary character who’s been in at least two or three of this series and I’m really hoping that Ms. MacLean puts us out of our misery and gives us the Sesily (and the American?) book that we’ve been dying for.

Slightly South of Simple - Kristy Woodson Harvey

Amazon || iBooks

This was my book club pick for the summer. I told my book club that I was picking a book with a beach on it, so I did, and so I read it by the beach when we were able to get away to Mexico last month. This is a great, easy read, about sisterhood, second chances and summers gone by.

The Deep End- Julie Mulhern

Amazon || iBooks

I’ve had this on my TBR list for a really long time, and was finally in a place where I could read a straight up mystery (I don’t like reading it when I’m writing it) and I give this an enthusiastic two thumbs up (I think I’ve already hand sold a few more copies). It’s set in the 1970’s, in a Kansas country club set. The time period isn’t too much, and as a writer, I appreciated that the setting allowed Ms. Mulhern to write mysteries where no one could call the police on their cell phones, which really changes plots these days.  A start to a five book series, I think, so you’ll have a lot to binge!

On the Lindsay Emory books front, if you’ve been following along on my Facebook page, you’ll see that I just wrote a BOOK IN A WEEK.  At the end of the week, I had a first draft of my Mistletoe Key Christmas novella, hopefully releasing in November 2017!  Go check out the posts (and unedited snippets!) and then sign up for Mistletoe Key updates and giveaways here.

Or sign up for my general monthly newsletter here. I love sharing the highlights of my month and doing a monthly giveaway for subscribers.  HOPEFULLY, I will have a big announcement later this month (or early August) so please, check here or sign up for my newsletter so you can squee with me. 

Or if you just want just-the-facts book news, Bookbub (that site that sends you your favorite books on sale - if you're not subscribed you want to be) has a way for you to follow me and they'll update you on when my books are released. Just click follow and easy peasy: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lindsay-emory

All These Things That I Love - June 2017

A monthly roundup of things that give me life…

Wonder Woman!!!

After writing about it last month, I got to see Wonder Woman two weeks ago! We took the kids (part of a birthday week (c) celebration) and I really can't stop thinking about it. Gal Gadot as Diana was luminescent, and strong, and brave and vulnerable and smart.

As an author, the movie and the characters have given me a lot of inspiration, but then I read this quote by the director, Patty Jenkins in the New York Times and I wanted to share it:

Cheesy is one of the words banned in my world. I’m tired of sincerity being something we have to be afraid of doing. It’s been like that for 20 years, that the entertainment and art world has shied away from sincerity, real sincerity, because they feel they have to wink at the audience because that’s what the kids like. We have to do the real stories now. The world is in crisis.

I wanted to tell a story about a hero who believes in love, who is filled with love, who believes in change and the betterment of mankind. I believe in it. It’s terrible when it makes so many artists afraid to be sincere and truthful and emotional and relegates them to the too-cool-for-school department. Art is supposed to bring beauty to the world.

I agree with Patty but now I'm wondering... what kind of stories should I be telling? What's my responsibility to be sincere and truthful as a fiction writer? How do I show heroes and heroines that fight for right and love and justice in an unapologetic way?

It's a great discussion around a great movie and a great start to Summer 2017.

Grapefruit Cocktails

If there's a grapefruit martini or margarita on a menu at a restaurant, I usually order it. So this summer, I decided to start trying out faux-Paloma recipes at home to enjoy in the pool.  This one I invented and it's currently my favorite.

Lindsay's 2017 Pool Drink

2 oz. gin (or blanco tequila) (or vodka) (I'm not picky)

half a lime, squeezed

2 oz. pink grapefruit juice

8 oz. ICE calorie free grapefruit soda

With My Hobonichi

After years of using my personal size planner, I realized at the end of May that I just needed more space. Writing all the deadlines and various publishing related notes didn't fit in my old planner anymore so I decided to spring for an April start Hobonichi Techo.  It fits great in a Louis Vuitton desk agenda and it gives me TONS of ways to plan out my life.  I'll share more about my system in the 2017 version of #ReadWritePlan, coming in September but for now you can get peeks on my Instagram.

If you follow me on Facebook, you'll know that I'm doing something crazy this week... I'M WRITING A BOOK IN A WEEK!!! (WHAT?! HAVE YOU HAD YOUR HEAD CHECKED, GIRL?)

I know, I know, I just wanted to see if I could do it. I started a Christmas novella yesterday and all week long I'll be posting snippets of un-edited 100% fresh book parts to keep me accountable and at the end of the week, hopefully I'll have a book that I'll be publishing later this year.

Check out my Pinterest inspiration board here.

If you're interested in getting updates about my Christmas novella/ Book in a Month click here.

If you want into my monthly update newsletter to get information about giveaways, new releases and sales, click here.

Let me know if you try my cocktail recipe or if you have a better one to recommend - or what you thought about Wonder Woman! I'd love to hear your thoughts!