Lindsay Emory

December 2, 2015

Best Books

Best Books to Read Now: December

Lindsay Emory

December 2, 2015

Best Books

BEST BOOKS TO READ NOW

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!

I got through more books in November mostly because I was fortunate enough to escape to Napa, California for a long weekend right before Thanksgiving. You may have seen some pictures (mostly of wine) on my

Instagram

but the weekend was more than just wine tastings. It was beautiful weather, good "old" friends, and going to bed early in the blessed silence of a Calistoga mountainside.

Last month when I was writing up my books, I noted that there were some themes to my selections and I'm noticing the same this month.

Kissing Her Crush - Ophelia London

I love this book for so many reasons, not least of which I had several good plotting sessions with Ophelia while she wrote this book over the course of a year. It's exciting to see the things we talked about "come to life" and see how Ophelia embued them her signature flair (hint: Gorilla!) While it's not strictly a Christmas / holiday book I think it fits in perfectly with the holiday season with its themes of chocolate, family and love.

One Week in December -- Alexis Anne, Audra North, Julia Kelly, Alexandra Haughton

The "

One Week" crew

is back with this enchanting (and FREE!) selection of short holiday romances. I'm telling you, this was perfect for holiday travel - little bite sized pieces of holiday cheer.

Pick it up (for FREE

) while you can!

The Best Man - Kristan Higgins

This was my first Kristan Higgins book (I know! Where have I been?!) but she's been on my AUTHORS TO READ list since I heard her speak at an RWA 2014 workshop and THE BEST MAN won't be my last. I literally devoured this in 24 hours after Thanksgiving, the day that will henceforth be known as The Day I Walked 5000 Steps In My Own Kitchen (thanks Fitbit for that data nugget). Being drawn into the Blue Heron winemaking world (right after my own trip to Napa, no less) with all of the small town sweetness and family humor was ideal for a post-Thanksgiving escape. The digital version is on sale now for $.99!

Magic Shifts- Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels Book 8)

So obviously, the accidental themes of my books this month have been sweet, family, romances. Does MAGIC SHIFTS fit in with that? If you've read the first seven books of this series and if you're a major Kate Daniels/ Ilona Andrews fan, the answer is UM, YES. If you haven't (and why haven't you?), then you might not understand that after seven Kate Daniels books and four more other books in the series the post-Shift world of Kate Daniels at this point FEELS like home and the characters at this point feel like family. Am I stretching the theme at this point?

I am a big BIG fan of Ilona Andrews (the husband and wife writing team of Ilona and Gordon Andrews) and I've read EVERYTHING they've ever written. I'm such a huge fan that I had to stop tweeting Gordon because I didn't want to be one of those annoying fans that tweeted things like, "I like cake. Do you like cake? Want to be best friends? I can send you cake." I was sitting at the bar at RT this year with my agent and when I saw Gordon and Ilona across the room, I kind of forgot what I was supposed to be talking about, I was so star-struck.

Basically, I love them. I love their books. I recommend them. MAGIC SHIFTS came out this summer but because I didn't have enough time to really savor it, I saved it and when I got to Napa and heard the silence, I knew I could immerse myself in the latest installment.

If you want more information on this epic, sometimes-violent, sometimes-spicy, always entertaining series, hit me up and I'll talk your ear off.

SPEAKING OF SALES...

I have books too!

KNOW WHEN TO HOLD HIM

is on sale for $.99... AND!!!

RUSHING TO DIE

is releasing on 12/29 and available for pre-order NOW!!

I'm so excited for everyone to read the newest installment of the Sorority Sisters Mysteries. Margot Blythe is back and preparing for rush (recruitment). There are new characters, new challenges, but Officer Ty Hatfield, Casey Kenner and the ladies of Delta Beta are still there for Margot to boss around - I mean, motivate and inspire.

because I'll be sending out a deluxe sample of RUSHING TO DIE before the release date!!

Lindsay Emory

November 4, 2015

Best Books

Best Books to Read Now

Lindsay Emory

November 4, 2015

Best Books

There's a phenomenon that many authors experience, where reading for pleasure becomes difficult, if not obsolete. This can be for various reasons, whether we don't have the time, or we can't turn off the inner critic. I'm still reading, but I have to admit, it's not the easy, loving relationship I used to have with books. I know the pain of writing a book and, I'll be honest, my reading time is limited. If I'm not clicking with something, I'm a lot quicker to put a book in the DNF (Did Not Finish) pile than I've ever been.

But there are so many books out there that still make me sigh and squeal. I've been to several book-y events this year where the whole table just starts gabbing about their favorite authors and such and it's the best. There's a joy in book talk, in finding your people to book talk with.

So to combat the book ennui and remind myself of the things that I love about reading, I decided to start a (hopefully) monthly post about books I've read.

PLEASE NOTE: This will NOT be a review post, per se. If I do not like a book, or do not finish it, I won't write about it here. My taste is my taste and I respect authors too much to write negatively about their work.

I put together a list of four books that I've read recently and strangely, I noticed they fit into two very distinct categories.

ROYAL BOOKS

The Royal We

- by Jessica Morgan and Heather Cocks

I've been a long-time reader of

Go Fug Yourself

, a hilarious fashion blog by these two authors (and their intern George (Clooney, that sweetheart). This book is essentially a fictionalized account of Prince William and Duchess Catherine's romance, except in the book the heroine is an American exchange student who meets the heir to the throne whilst studying abroad at Oxford which is a super awesome fantasy that no girl in America ever has. *cough*

I would not call this a "romance" in the usual sense. Because it's essentially Wills and Kate (Nick and Bex in the book), we know they're getting married and having cherubic royal babies. The behind the scenes drama with the Pippa- like sister had me raging and the peek into the fashion reinvention of a princess was fun and fascinating.

This book would be an excellent movie and SURPRISE!

It will be!

My girl Lorelai, I mean Lauren Graham will be writing the screenplay and her onscreen daughter (not Rory, the other one) Mae Whitman will be starring. LOVE. Can't wait for that.

(Oooh. Just noticed that they have the

first seven (7) chapters for free

on Amazon if you want a deluxe sample.)

A Royal Pain

- by Megan Mulry

After I finished The Royal We, I decided I wanted a little more royal romance so I opened up A Royal Pain, which I've had on my TBR (To Be Read) pile FOR-EVER. Megan has been tremendously supportive of me and I adored her last contemporary release so I couldn't wait to get into her back list. If you like to read about the glamourous life, pick up a Megan Mulry book. Her descriptions of Valentino gowns, wines that I'll never be able to afford and ducal jewels kept in locked vaults are nearly as sexy as the... well, super-sexy scenes.

HISTORICAL ROMANCES

The Suffragette Scandal

- by Courtney Milan

This is book four of the Brothers Sinister series and I have no idea why I waited so long to read this. I flew through probably six or seven of Milan's books, the first three from this series and then her other series but not this one. Maybe I was sick or something. ANYWAY, I finally got to the story of Fredericka "Free" Marshall and it, like all of Milan's historicals is like a breath of fresh air. I don't know what it is, the Victorian time period, the forward thinking characters, the precise prose, but if you love historical romance or if you're looking for a nice romantic companion to a

Meryl Streep movie

check this one out.

hen A Scot Ties A Knot

-by Tessa Dare

If I could, I would compose a sonnet full of my love for Tessa Dare books (unless that's creepy. Is that creepy?) I know I've posted on Facebook about her books and when someone wants a historical romance recommendation, Tessa is one of the top authors I recommend. I was lucky enough to spend some time with the fabulous Ms. Dare at a recent event and she is lovely, literate and can make you laugh AND cry - in a speech as well as in her books!

I cried during this book, and it wasn't even at the half way mark. It was a good cry, there were good laughs. It's just plain good. If the title doesn't hook you, Tessa recently did

an Avon podcast

where she talked a little about her books and the plot .

I just noticed another theme with all these books. They're all set in Britain, mostly. Huh. Strange.

Alright, I'd love to hear what books you've loved and what you recommend to other readers. I have a HUGE TBR pile but I can always add on!

Cheerio!

Lindsay Emory

August 31, 2015

Plan * Write * Publish

Spreadsheets are Sexy

Lindsay Emory

August 31, 2015

Plan * Write * Publish

I write books. I also have a 40 hour a week full time job. My school-aged kids are at the soccer fields at least five days out of seven. My husband has a full time job and plays on two soccer teams of his own. We have two dogs, a guinea pig, friends, church activities, neighbors, an older house with a big yard, and not even close to having enough time in the week to just hang out and watch Ballers. (It has The Rock in it. Need I say more?) How do I handle all of the above and feed my family and exercise and keep laundry moving?

I don’t even know. Just typing this has made me exhausted.

But I try to stay organized and on top of things. In fact, being organized is the ONLY way that I could ever find time to do all of the above.

Currently, my system all hinges around these two items. My phone and my planner.

Okay, and my computer. And those pens.

Now, back at the beginning of 2014, I blogged here about how I was going all digital. At that time, I set aside my pretty Louis Vuitton planner (bought used in 2007 on ebay with some birthday money) and went all in with my phone and Google calendar. And for a while, it worked. I was a convert. I had all my schedules, tasks, calendars consolidated in one nifty device that I could fit in my pocket.

But then my publishing career started to pick up. Suddenly I had more deadlines, blog tours and submissions and in the fall of 2014, I felt the need for a paper calendar again. Something I could write in pretty colors and see a month at a glance. I tried several versions of the May Design books and this summer headed back to my trusty paper planner as an aide to my phone.

Here’s how it’s breaking down:

On phone/Google calendar: all appointments, travel, soccer games, piano lessons, holidays, parties. Basically, anything that I need an “alert” for or anything that my husband might need to reference from wherever he is.

On paper calendar: travel, important unmissable bigger events (a friend’s 40th birthday party, neighborhood picnic), birthdays, book deadlines (edits due, manuscript TBF, etc.), blog posts and tours.

You might be asking, why do I need the paper and the digital calendars? I think of it as covering both my microcosm and the macrocosm. On most days I need the immediacy, the minute-to-minute alerts and convenience of my phone. Some days I need to sit back and look at the big picture – when will I write this masterpiece? Where does this project fit between all my other projects? Do I have too much going on in July 2015? (The answer was yes.)

The planner also holds my weekly menus, to-do lists, workouts, etc. It may be old-fashioned but there is no more satisfying feeling than physically crossing off something. Even on my busiest, craziest days, if I can cross-off "write blog post" or "buy birthday gift" I feel like maybe I might not be a complete failure.

What about the books?

A lot of writers (some of whom you’ll find on the Get It Together blog hop) keep track of all their word goals and counts on a yearly and daily basis. I… do not. Currently, I have a personal goal of writing three books a year. I feel that’s do-able given my life But so far I haven’t gotten into such a routine that I can washi tape a section off in my planner and input consistent, daily word counts. Also, sometimes I can write a book in three weeks. Sometimes it’s three months. What can I say, the muse is finicky.

What I do use, is a spreadsheet. Inspired by my friends Audra North and Julia Kelly and their comprehensive spreadsheets that they kindly shared with me, I developed my own spreadsheet to keep track of writing projects at all their stages, from plot bunny to published. Once a book is in the writing stage, I do keep track of word count in there and when it goes off to the agent and editor, I track those dates, too. Other things that go in the spreadsheet are expenses, contacts I’ve made and professional goals (like apply for PAN, attend a mystery convention, win a RITA. The usual.)

I recommend a spreadsheet to anyone, as it really helps me synthesize the creative side of writing with the business side and visually "see" the books as a process. I think it would especially be helpful for those that are self-publishing and have way more details to keep track of than I do.

And for those that really want to know, I do my book drafts in Scrivener, which is full of great organizational tools and I don't even use that many of them (or know what they are. ) Its primary benefit, for me, is that beautiful cork board which helps me manually and visually arrange the scenes and plot points of a book.

And those are the highlights of how I manage my life and my writing. At least this month.

I'd love to hear what you use, if I've inspired you or what tips or tricks you have for me! Want to hear more from all our TWENTY SEVEN authors? Go here to follow along the blog hop for the next week. We have an amazing group of authors who all have different methods, processes and tips for organizing life, career and books. It's going to be a very interesting week!

OH! And how could I forget? We have giveaways! Click on the graphic below to sign up to win books and gift cards and fun organizational accessories:

Lindsay Emory

August 24, 2015

Plan * Write * Publish

Get it Together!

Lindsay Emory

August 24, 2015

Plan * Write * Publish

A few weeks back, I was watching some videos on YouTube about planners and organization. This is a very addictive hole to fall into on a hot summer day when you do not want to go outside and want to trick yourself into feeling productive. Anyway, I had an idea and shot Alexandra Haughton a text and before you can say, "Erin Condren washi tape," we had a blog hop organized.

So get excited. Starting August 31st to September 4th, we have an amazing slate of writers who are all going to be blogging (maybe vlogging? Instagramming? Periscoping? who knows?) about all their best organization tips for writing, business and life. Check back here next Monday and I'll have links to all the transformational, inspirational, sensational information or follow the #GetItTogetherHop hashtag on social media to get inspired to get it together.

Get it Together Blog Hop schedule

Monday, August 31st

Tuesday, September 1st

Wednesday, September 2nd

Thursday, September 3rd

Friday, September 4th

And don't forget to enter to win giveaways! Books, gift cards and fun supplies!

Lindsay Emory

July 27, 2015

Plan * Write * Publish

#RWA15 Recap and Rewind

Lindsay Emory

July 27, 2015

Plan * Write * Publish

Well, it was that time of year again. I packed my bags, charged every electronic device I had and made my way to the Big Apple to attend the Romance Writers of America (RWA) national conference last week. This was a very different conference than the one I went to last year. To start with, I was very different. Last year, I was contracted with a publisher, but had only completed one round of edits on KNOW WHEN TO HOLD HIM. This year, I’ve published two books, and just turned in a third to my editor. Last year, I was unagented. This year, I had the fabulosa Cassie Hanjian to steer me around the terrifying pit of hell (also known as the New York subway in July) on our way to parties across Manhattan. Last year, I think I knew one other writer in real life at the conference. This year, I knew quite a few more and was thrilled to meet other lovely writers that are now, whether they like it or not, inducted into my tribe permanently. (You can't get away. You're mine now.)

Last year, I followed the serendipitous voice. This year, that voice was harder to hear. I don’t know why, maybe it was because of roar of Times Square outside the hotel, or the cacophony of conflicting demands in my life. There were still stand out moments. In one workshop I moderated, Roxanne St. Claire theorized that writers procrastinate on social media because we’re lonely, working alone at home as we do. That comment rang so true to me that I’m resolved to get more in-person socializing done, so that I can be more productive at the keyboard. I went to Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ character workshop and Jennifer Crusie’s turning point workshop back to back on Friday and by the end of it, I had figured out how to totally re-work my latest manuscript. I’m pretty sure that’s a good thing. I had my cab almost stolen by Don King, saw Taye Diggs on Broadway, enjoyed a burlesque show, and laughed my butt off with Alexandra Haughton and Ophelia London as we trolled New York at 11pm looking for pizza.

The high point of the conference was definitely aided by one of the coolest chicks in the history of cool chicks, Laura Von Holt. See, Julia Kelly and I had ducked inside the Avon book signing just to say hi to some people and I was standing in line to gush to Jeaniene Frost about how much Vlad means to me, when Laura tapped me on the shoulder and said, “You’re here. Your books are here.”

[Now, for those that don’t know, my latest release, SISTERHOOD IS DEADLY, is published by Harper Collins Witness Impulse, a sister imprint to Avon. Which I obviously knew, not just because I had received invitations to attend several other Avon events at RWA.]

When Laura said this, I thought she meant that Avon had kindly stacked some of my books on a side table.

NO.

Unbeknownst to me, I had a space in the signing. With a banner and pens and books… except all my books had been taken before I got there. Which I was thrilled about! Of course! (People, please, take my book!) So I sat my butt down and signed some free download cards for the people that came after, and I met several lovely Avon editors and (!) my wonderful publicist Dianna (hey!).

What a difference a year makes. Last year I went to the Avon signing and fangirled over my favorite authors and resolved that would be me…. One day. This year, I was there! I was late, but I was there! Next year, who knows, I might even be on time!

So… Because I’m the kind of rebel who’s late to her own surprise book signing, I took a couple of extra free book cards home with me and I’d love to share them. If you’d like a free e-book of SISTERHOOD IS DEADLY, the first ten people to comment below with your email address or who sign up for my newsletter (to give me your email in private) will get one. (People, please, take my book!)