Is There Such a Thing as Too Many Books?

Somebody help me, please!

 Hi, I'm Lily Silver, author and historian. Thanks for joining The Beach Book Blast Thankful for Great Books Event!  Our Grand Prize for this event is a Olive Garden Gift Card. Whoo Hoo, I love Olive Garden. Enter to win the Olive Garden gift card on the main BBB site and maybe you'll be going out to eat a romantic dinner on us! Also, leave a comment for me here with your email and be entered to win a $15 iTunes Gift Card on me! 

I'm an avid reader. My favorite pastime as a teen was being cloistered in my room reading a great book. Even better when summer came, as I'd spread a blanket on the grass under a shady tree in our back yard and read away the afternoon.  Bookish, yes, that was me as a teen.

Not much has changed over the decades. I still always have a nose in a good book. The trouble is, these days I find there are just too many good books to read and never enough time. I work at a library. It's heaven, and it's hell. Heaven because I literally have books come to me daily as I work the circulation desk. It's like a kid in a candy story. I check the books in as patrons return them, admire the lovely covers, read the blurbs, and inevitably end up taking many of them home. More of them than I can possibly read. The hell part comes into play when I have to return some of them because they are due, (being a conscientious library employee) without even being able to read them. When it comes to books, I don't have a lot of self restraint. And that's not a bad thing. Nobody died yet from reading too many books.

My first truly memorable read, aside from the ones we all read in school was Interview with the Vampire, by Anne Rice. It was a new book, back in the '70's. I was a teen and nobody had heard of Anne Rice. I loved Louis, the tortured, angst ridden vampire. I loved the setting of New Orleans in the 18 and 19th centuries depicted in the novel. I loved the time travel feeling as Louis told us about his life back then. Those elements stuck with me. As a writer today, I like historical fiction, mainly romance. I love time travel romance, and I love fantasy (the vampire element of Interview).

As a young adult, I went on to discover Kathleen E Woodiwiss, and her wonderful historical romance stories. My first by her was A Rose in Winter, a historical romance set in 18th century England, with a masked, scarred Lord, and a very poor woman who agrees to marry this dark and scary man in exchange for her stepfather's debts being paid. It was a lot like Beauty and the Beast. I read this book several times, and still have a copy. I've read all of Ms. Woodiwiss' books, but have always considered A Rose in Winter to be her best.

So, as a power reader, I feel I owe tribute to these two women, Anne Rice and Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, for shaping my reading tastes and for influencing my writing career. Anne Rice gave me an imaginative peek into the supernatural and let me see the historical world changing through the centuries through her vampire character's lives. Kathleen E. Woodiwiss gave me wonderful romantic fantasies set in exotic locals of the past that were rich with detail and packed a strong emotional wallop. I'm eternally grateful to these two grand ladies, for opening up new worlds to me as a reader and giving me something to aspire to as a writer.

As for my own stories, I do like to imbue a strong element of fantasy within them. The romance genre is all about fantasy. I have heroines who are seers, fairies or as in my most recent release, a celebrity. And my heroes are always a little larger than life. Yeah, that's a fantasy for most of us, isn't it? Being wealthy and famous. But what if . . . what if you achieved success, lived in a nice posh home in Malibu and the guy next door was  . . . a Rock Star! A real rock star--the one you used to fantasize about when you were a teen? And what if  he believed you were his lover in a past life and he wanted you to marry him . . . right now, without hesitation? Would you? Or would you be a little worried about this scenario?

That's the storyline of my newest release, The Rock Star Next Door. It's every woman's fantasy from her teen years. Doesn't matter if it was Elvis you drooled over or Justin Bieber, or maybe you dreamed of country music stars instead. Doesn't matter. You get it if you're a woman. You dreamed of meeting your idol, kissing him, and maybe a little more, maybe a lot more. Well, here's your fantasy and mine . . . your favorite Rock Star chasing after little ol' you.

So now it's your turn:
What are your most memorable reads?  What writer influenced your tastes as a reader today? 
Leave a comment here with your email address and be entered to win a free $15 iTunes card on me, so you can buy more good books! I wish for you the same wonderful dilemma; so many books and so little time!

To register for the grand prize,  $25 Olive Garden gift card, use the rafflecopter gizmo on the main Beach Book Blast site. Here's the link back to the Beach Book Blast Blog


Be sure to visit our other awesome authors for more great books, great fun, and prizes.

Fabio Bueno @ http://www.fabiobueno.com

Debra Burroughs @ http://www.DebraBurroughsBooks.com

L.C. Giroux @ http://www.lcgiroux.com/thoughts

Stacy Green @ http://stacygreenauthor.com/

Stacey Joy Netzel @ http://staceyjoynetzel.blogspot.com/2012/11/thanks-for-great-books-blog-hopfall.html

Janice Lane Palko @ http://www.thewritinglane.blogspot.com

PJ Sharon @ http://www.pjsharonyawriter.blogspot.com

Tamara Ward @ http://www.authortamaraward.blogspot.com/

The Dragon and the Jewel

This week, we have a guest on Romancing History. Brittiany Koren is sharing with us a favorite couple from a historical romance novel.  Since this week is Thanksgiving, it's only right that we give thanks for all the things in life that we love, including great books!  Who doesn't have a certain book that is their all time favorite, one they can read again and again? I do, and I'm sure you do, too.  

Introducing Brittiany:

Brittiany Koren has been a reader of historical fiction since her early teens. In 1997, she got her first job in publishing working for legendary anthologist and book packager, Martin H. Greenberg, and later collaborated with him on several anthologies. She is married to her own real-life hero, and they have three children. She is the proud owner of Written Dreams Editorial Services, where she edits fiction of all genres and non-fiction. Brittiany’s personal goal is to help as many writers as she possibly can write the story they long to share with their readers. She lives in Green Bay, WI.

Visit her website at: writtendreams.com

Take it away, Brittiany!

Eleanor and Simon

The Dragon and the Jewel by Virginia Henley is one of my favorite books of all time. When I first read this novel in the 1990s, I was still in high school. I’ve read it several times since then, and it still intrigues me which is amazing even to me, because as an editor, I’m pretty darn picky in what I read in my spare time.

I stumbled upon this novel the old-fashioned way, in a book store. I became so entranced with Henley’s details of the medieval period and the historical characters of Simon DeMontfort, Earl of Leicester and Princess Eleanor Plantagenet, I went on to find more non-fiction books about the real people of the story. It didn’t matter what it was, or how long it was. I was obsessed with their love story and the characters of the novel I had grown to love. And being obsessed when you’re a teenager doesn’t take much. J

               What intrigued me the most about Simon and Eleanor’s story was that they never gave up, no matter what the obstacle was. In the novel, Simon, comes to England penniless. The King’s sister, Eleanor, has been recently made a widow, and Simon falls hard for her. Simon is the ultimate medieval hero. He commands men and women alike. He’s intelligent on the battlefield, and in bed. At one point in his life, he takes over the throne. He’s a force to be reckoned with.

               Eleanor is a breathtakingly beautiful woman, and she plays Simon for what he is: a powerful man. But there’s also a softer side to Eleanor and the time period shown to the reader. She tallies books, handles the running of the keep while Simon plays soldier, and plays the perfect hostess. She’s confident, courageous, and warm. A woman every man wants to be with, and every woman wants to be. Their love story, the way it is depicted in Henley’s novel, is fierce. The details in the novel bring this time period to life in such a fascinating way, it feels as if you’re really there. Henley takes a careful hand in adding in depth to the major and minor characters, making them live and breathe.

               After I read this novel, I was hooked on Henley’s writing. I became a collector of her books. Every time Virginia wrote a new story, I had to have it. Another favorite is The Hawk and the Dove, and I named my daughter after a character in that novel, but that’s another story. J

               Every time I read another one of Henley’s novels, I was happy. Just thinking about reading one of her books now gives me a feeling of contentment, sitting on the sofa all cozy in a blanket, wrapped in the story of a great romance. Her characters gave me something to think about, inspired me to change my own life, and be the person I am today. I became a huge fan of the historical romance because of this novel, and it’s still my favorite genres to both read and edit today. Reading the The Dragon and Jewel has truly affected my life in a positive way. I encourage you to read it, and learn all about Simon and Eleanor and their adventures.

Lily's thoughts:
Thanks Brittiany, for joining us and sharing your favorite couple in historical romance. I really want to read this story now and discover a new author who has been around a long time. Virginia Henley has many books published. Here is a list of some of her historical romances available. This is not a complete list, but just the titles are so tantalizing I'm sure if you're like me you'll be wanting to check out this awesome historical romance author: 

The Raven and the Rose,
A Year and a Day
Bold Conquest 
The Hawk and the Dove
The Falcon and the Flower
The Dark Earl

Master of Paradise 

Here is a link to Amazon's Virginia Henley Page

Start here if you're looking for a great romantic read, or check out your local library.