Best Books to Read Now: June 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!

Let's jump in, shall we?

Summer Heat by Alexis Anne

Amazon || iBooks

A hot steamy romance with baseball?  Um, yes. There's just something about summer nights and guys in tight white pants. Fans of Alexis Anne will be thrilled with this new story in her Storm Inside world, and past characters come back!  Whee!

White Hot by Ilona Andrews

Amazon || iBooks

I've waited for this book for what, 2, 3 years? Of course I took a day off to read it. I've recommended the first book in the series, Burn For Me, here and it's still on sale for $2.99.  The third book in the series is releasing in August and yes, it's that good. I've converted a number of peeps into fans, so if you're jumping on the train, let me know so we can gush together.

It Happened on Love Street by Lia Riley

Amazon || iBooks

I'm going to be honest. I read the first five pages of this book and texted a writer friend: "I hate Lia Riley so much."  I don't really hate Lia because she's sweet and awesome and writes incredibly real, funny, sexy books that inspire envy and low-self-esteem in other authors (me.)  This book is Kristan Higgins-esque set in a small Georgia town that's like Bluebell, Alabama (from Hart of Dixie) mixed with Stars Hollow. Read it and bask in the sexy adorableness.

You are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero

Amazon || iBooks

This was the inaugural #HBICNation book club pick (read more about HBIC Nation here) and I really enjoyed it! I can't wait to talk about the mindset of wealth with the other HBICs. If you're a creative entrepreneur who identifies as an HBIC, check out our Facebook group and join the party (and book club.)

Make sure you're signed up for my newsletter [here] to get all the latest news about books, appearances and sales AND my monthly round up and giveaway!!

As always, I'd love to hear what books you've been reading and loving lately! Comment below!

Best Books to Read Now - Creative #HBIC Edition

I've been wanting to do this edition of Best Books to Read Now for a while now. So voila! Here is my list of the nonfiction books about creativity and writing that I love and, in some cases, refer to again and again.  

****UPDATED in 2019!****

About Creativity...

The Artisan Soul - Erwin Raphael McManus  - comes at creativity from a Christian/ religious persepective

Big Magic - Elizabeth Gilbert  - I also highly recommend the podcast by the same name. Not a Christian perspective but definitely some #woowoo there.

About being an HBIC...

The Pro Writer Mindset - Jennifer Blanchard - practical advice on goals, writing and business. Loved this.

The Desire Map - Danielle LaPorte -  I recommend this one and/or The Pro Writer Mindset when you need some concrete advice on how to get where you want to get.  The Desire Map is a little more woowoo but there's some great stuff on affirmations and visualization in The Pro Writer Mindset too.

Dear Writer, You Need to Quit - Becca Syme - I highly recommend Becca’s Better Faster Academy courses to every writer I meet (she’s my writing/life coach/guru) but this book is a nice introduction to her methods and madness and empowers you to make the best choices that work for you. (Check out my Women With Books episode interviewing Becca for more information.)

The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women - Valerie Young - a good and empowering read about conquering your imposter syndrome

You are a Badass at Making Money - Jen Sincero - really, any of Jen Sincero’s books help you HBIC level up, but this one’s my favorite because cha-ching.

Atomic Habits - James Clear - I’ve decided that most productivity books don’t really apply to most multi-tasking women but this one actually spoke to me and I recommend it all the time.

About Writing and Marketing...

Romancing the Beat - Gwen Hayes - a concise, easy to read guide on how to plot a romance novel

Save the Cat - Blake Snyder  - I'm a disciple of this storytelling method. It doesn't click for everyone but once you see stories through a Save the Cat lens, you'll never go back.

Writing the Cozy Mystery - Nancy J. Cohen - another great, concise and practice guide to writing a popular genre

Your A Game - Damon Suede and Heidi Cullinan - about promotion and marketing and how different personality types can approach it.

Newsletter Ninja - Tammy Labrecque - the ultimate bible on how to build and engage the most powerful marketing tool; a newsletter

And now you really want to know... what in the blazes is an HBIC?

Head

Bitch

In

Charge.

That's right. We're taking back the B-word.

It's what my friends and I started calling ourselves when we stopped and realized that (1) we really knew what we were talking about when it came to our business stuff and (2) we were stronger when we worked together and supported each other.

On a sunny Feburary afternoon, after a beautiful al fresco luncheon, we started dreaming. What if... what if more people could join our group? What if... what if we could teach and learn from each other?  What if... we took over the world?  Thus, HBIC Nation was born.

Founded by six authors (and badass business women), HBIC Nation is a place to learn, share, and grow your creative empire--plus have one heck of a good time while doing it. If you identify as an HBIC, you are welcome. 

So if you're a creative of any type, and you identify as an HBIC, you are welcomed at the party.  Come visit our Instagram, sign up for our newsletter, join our Facebook group, pour a drink and let's get to work together.

P.S. Do you love our unicorn logo?  For launch week, we're offering a discount on logo t-shirts!!!  Check it out HERE.

Best Books to Read Now - April 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!

FAN GIRL ALERT!!!

Gushing ahead!!!

Magic Binds - Ilona Andrews

I'm not even going to apologize. I am a Level A1 Ilona Andrews fan girl, as I've stated before. Magic Binds is Book 9 of the Kate Daniels series and one of the best. I can't even explain why, it just had everything I love about the best of Ilona Andrews, crazy yet loyal friends and families, strong women and the strong men that love them and completely unique world building.

And while we're talking about THE BEST of Ilona Andrews.... The first book in their new series, Burn For Me  is on sale for $.99. It originally came out in 2014 and I have read it, no lie, at least four or five times since. So yes, you can say I recommend it. Read it now and then you'll be able to read the next two with me when they're released this summer.

Dark Road to Darjeeling - Deanna Raybourn

This was book 4 of the Lady Julia Gray series and this time Julia and her family take the trip to India to solve crimes in their oh-so-English way. I've read books about colonial India since a very young age (I'm not making that up. That would be a weird thing to make up.) and this story felt lovely and familiar.

Belgravia - Julian Fellowes

I almost picked Belgravia to be my book club selection.  I picked Big Little Lies instead but grabbed this one for Spring Break reading. As the cover says, the author is the author of Downton Abbey so if you were a Lady Cora fan...

I mean, a Dowager Countess fan, you'll be quite happy with this Upstairs/Downstairs tale of scandal and family in the early Victorian era.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot

If you haven't read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks yet, do yourself a favor and read it now before the HBO series starts this month.  If you loved Hidden Figures, this book will also tell you a story of science and the amazing contribution of an African-American woman who never got the acknowledgment she deserved.  I first read this with a prior book club. We were a diverse group and this book kept us talking for hours about science, ethics, and American history.

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So… as always, I’d love to hear what you’ve read or are reading. Throw those suggestions at me down below or keep in touch on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook.  And are you subscribed to my newsletter?

If not, WHY NOT?  My newsletter subscribers get all the news about new books, sales and contests, FIRST – sign up here and keep in touch! There will be some awesome stuff coming up soon!

 Until next month, Happy Reading!!!

Best Books to Read Now - March 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!

Yes, dear reader, I skipped my BBTRN post for February. Life, man. Also, DNFs.  Also... I was catching up on some of my favorite series and I didn't want my whole blog post to be about book 9 and 10 of a great series...

Like Darynda Jones' Charley Davidson series. I wrote about this series before and like I said then, I don't know how I got behind (except, y'know, LIFE) and obviously it took me longer than I'd like to catch up but oh man, Darynda just never disappoints. In The Dirt on Ninth Grave  and The Curse on Tenth Grave Charley and her ragtag crew of (other)worldly friends are still funny, loyal, sexy and mysterious. Exactly what I love to read. And yes, I'm already behind again because Eleventh Grave in Moonlight is already out and waiting for me...

Y'all.

Those of you who have seen me in person have probably already heard me gush about the Winston Brothers series, about seven (mostly bearded) sexy siblings. From the humor to the dialogue to the fantastic covers, I loved these up and down. For some reason, I read book 3, Beard Science, and then book 1, Truth or Beard and I can attest to the fact that you will love the Winston Brothers in all the various birth orders. Do not amble, stroll, mosey or otherwise lollygag, RUN to your local internet book retailer and start (wherever you please) with these books and then come talk to me about them and we can sigh and giggle over them together.

Right after I saw Ms. Quarles win the RITA for Must Love Chainmail last year in San Diego, she popped it on sale and I nabbed it.  I like time travel historicals (oh hai Jamie Fraser) but I hadn't read a medieval book in decades, probably, so I just needed to be in the right mood, which I was in February (probably because I had an inexplicable urge to put on armor and grab a very big weapon and fight against tyrannical kings.) I chomped this one down fast. The historical details were fascinating and well-researched, the romance lovely, the suspense immediate.  I like the slight twist on the typical time-travel ending (it's an HEA, don't worry) and the fact that the two characters couldn't understand each other immediately (modern day English is very different from 13th century English).   I'm definitely going to pick up her other books in this series, Must Love Breeches and Must Love Kilts to tide me over until Outlander returns...

Big Little Lies was my book club selection for January/February and mostly because I saw the HBO show was starting and remembered I always wanted to read a Liane Moriarty book.  I'm pretty embarrassed it took me this long but... um... see my Darynda Jones delays. I'm a busy woman. I can't read everything!  I loved the book. I found it refreshing, suspenseful and real and I've got a couple of episodes saved up to binge watch this weekend. (I've heard great things - are you watching?)

As always, I'd love to hear about what you're reading, watching and loving lately.  Hit me up on my  Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook.  And are you subscribed to my newsletter?  I hope to have some announcements about new books coming soon!

P.S. I'm also participating in a multi-author contest this week featuring books with women sleuths!  Check it out here to win 45+ books!

Best Books to Read Now - January 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!

As is often the case, my reading plans for the past couple of months didn't quite go as planned. I had a stack of books I intended to curl up with over the holidays and then I found myself reading something else. Fortunately for me (and for you?) the novels I picked were totally engrossing and perfect for lazy winter sick days (Yeah, I was struck down by the Great Cruddy Cold of Christmas 2016 - anyone else?).

If You Only Knew - Kristan Higgins

When Kristan Higgins' If You Only Knew was released, readers and her fellow authors alike raised a brow. A women's fiction novel from one of the queens of contemporary romance?

I am happy to report that there's still plenty of romance in this book, but also a fascinating story about three women who try to put their lives back together after heartbreak, betrayal and loss.  There's something in this book for romance fans and women's fiction fans.

The Hating Game - Sally Thorne

Speaking of the blend of romance and women's fiction, The Hating Game was on so many "best of" lists of 2016, including NPR's. This is packaged as a women's fiction or chick lit book but in my opinion, it is a straight up romance/ romantic comedy about how hate and love are two sides of the same coin.  I couldn't put it down.

A Promise of Fire - Amanda Bouchet

I first heard about A Promise of Fire on Smart Bitches Trashy Books but then, suddenly, it was every-freaking-where.  This was another book that got a lot of end-of-year accolades and for good reason.  It's a totally unique fantasy romance and I didn't really know what I was reading for the first 20 pages. It was a pseudo-Greek mythological world. People have magic, there are lands and kingdoms, Game of Thrones-style and a romance that sort of reminded me of Curran and Kate in Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series (one of my all-time faves.)

I will make one caveat/ warning that I've noticed in a lot of the reviews. For a good portion of the book, the heroine is literally tied to the hero after being kidnapped by him. Yes, it's a magic rope. Yes, he's a benevolent captor. Yes, she can make herself invisible. Still, if such things would bother you, I wanted you to be aware.

Now is a good time to grab this because Breath of Fire (The Kingmaker Chronicles), Book 2 has just been released  and the third book is supposed to be released later this year, I believe.

A Lady Awakened - Cecilia Grant

This is another book that someone mentioned in a SBTB podcast (I think? I can't remember and I can't find the episode) and I kept seeing it on people's "OMG Favorite Historical Romance" lists. To continue my trend of atypical historical romances, this is a tale of a widow who essentially hires a playboy neighbor to try to impregnate her so that she can inherit her late husband's estate and save it from her late husband's brother's evil clutches... got that?  Even though the plot sounds bananas and over the top, I can't remember the last time a romance  felt so intimate and so small.  The hero and heroine truly develop and mature through the book. There are (gasp!) conversations, there are real feelings and true, sweet intimacy.  If you're tired of wham, bam thank you ma'am stories this one might be a breath of fresh air for you.

So... as always, I'd love to hear what you've read or are reading. Throw those suggestions at me down below or keep in touch on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook.  And are you subscribed to my newsletter?

If not, WHY NOT?  My newsletter subscribers get all the news about new books, sales and contests, FIRST - sign up here and keep in touch in 2017!