Expanding the timeline ...

Well ... never did I think to say - or rather write - this, but it's true: I have ventured into contemporary romance and, after bashing and steering clear for many years, I've completely fallen for it. I'm still a 100% historical romance fan, but I'm finding a new appreciation for the contemporary authors out there.

Whenever people hear "romance" - and are not readers of the genre themselves - they immediately think Nora Roberts and Danielle Steel, which used to drive me nuts! I would carefully explain that no, I hadn't read either of those authors and I in fact only read historicals ... but to them it's all the same and they don't really care to differentiate.

I grew to kind of resent Roberts and Steel and although I have not picked up any of the latter's books yet, I've quickly rethought my opinion on Roberts. I just finished my fifth book of hers today and aside from this last one, they were all 4+ stars. I've also read some great Rachel Gibson and one absolutely fantastic book by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (I'll be posting about them in the next few days).

The "time period expansion" has caused the name of the blog to change, along with the web address ... hope you enjoy the new books that will be covered!

Sabrina Jeffries update, comic, and video

I received the latest Sabrina Jeffries newsletter and it was full of goodies!

First ... Just my own personal reminder - if you still haven't read Jeffries' Wed Him Before You Bed Him (Book 6) you're missing out and I highly recommend it (I reviewed it in a past blog entry). It is the last book in the School for Heiresses series and though reading other books in the series will enhance the experience, you don't have to have read any (or all - like me) of them. I had only read two other books in the series previously and I enjoyed Don't Bargain With the Devil (Book 5) (also reviewed), but was disappointed with Never Seduce a Scoundrel (Book 1). The series leads up to the grand finale of Wed Him, since snippets of letters between the hero and heroine of the last book begin each chapter of the first five, with the hero remaining a mystery until his final unveiling in Book 6.

Second ... News about Jeffries' next project!! The much-adored (because he's such a scandalous and outrageous rake/rogue) Lord Stoneville is the star of her next series. There will be five books featuring him, his two brothers, his two sisters, and "one cranky grandmother." Stoneville's book will kick off the series (out March 2010) and the premise is that the siblings' rich grandmother has issued an ultimatum that they must all marry - or be cut off permanently. The second book will be out October 2010 and apparently many Heiress series characters will be reapparing throughout this new series - as yet unnamed.

Third ... Check out this cute and funny comic series, "Will + Jane's Excellent Adventure," that I had no idea she had. The latest comic is posted for your viewing pleasure below.

Fourth ... Also check out this "backseat interview" with Sabrina Jeffries from July 2009. It was done the day before Wed Him Before You Bed Him came out and explains Charlotte's backstory and the book's premise.

PaperBackSwap - recycle your books

I forget how exactly I found out about PaperBackSwap, but I think it was from someone's post on Amazon.com. The site is absolutely fantastic, a wonderful idea, has a great selection of books (especially historical romances), and it's basically free!

Here's how it works:

1. You list a book
2. Someone requests that book
3. You mail it (if it's a standard mass market paperback will cost $2.83 and you can even mail it from home)
4. They receive the book and mark it on the website
5. You get 1 credit
6. And 1 credit = 1 book ... so now you request a book!

When you list your first ten books, you get two free credits, so you can get started right away with your requests without even having to wait for someone to order one of your books. There is also a video/website thing that gives instructions and further details about the program.

Hope you enjoy!!

Great NPR story - a male professor who loves historical romances!

A wonderful story on NPR that features the rare and elusive creature: a male fan of historical romance novels!! Enjoy ;-)

(I've posted the whole thing below for your reading pleasure - sorry for the iffy image quality).