BOC Beach BBQ 2013

On Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending the third annual Book Obsessed Chicks beach BBQ. It was held at Lido Beach on Long Island. After all the stormy weather we've been having in this area, it was a blessing the day was so beautiful. This event was created by a group of phenomenal readers and authors who love to get together and enjoy life and reading is a big part of it. Last year I met a wonderful woman named Carol. She bought one of my Cursed MacKinnon's series books then went home and bought the rest so she could read them from beginning to end. She made my day yesterday by telling me she loved the series and wanted to know where the rest of it was. Oh lordy, I wish I wrote faster. LOL.  It's readers like her that make me feel good about what I do. Readers are why every author writes. I used to say I did it to keep me sane, to let the voices out of my head. This is still true but I've learned so much more over the years. It's women like Carol who push me to continue creating imaginary worlds filled with Hot, Sexy Men and romance. A huge THANK YOU goes out to all the readers out there.

 Here's a picture of me and Kim who is the creator of Book Obsessed Chicks & runs the BBQ.

 You can't have a BBQ without Hot, Sexy men running the Grill. The guys were awesome cooks.

Here's a picture of my BFF C.H. Admirand and Jennifer. Colleen was the DD so I got to drink Sangria. Gotta love the BFF.  Did I ever tell ya'll she's the reason I'm published in the first place? LOVE, LOVE LOVE C.H. Admirand. It's through her I met Kim and the BOC gang.
Each year they also have a great big Tricky Tray kind of event where you buy tickets and pick which baskets you want to win and place your ticket in the bag next to the basket and hope your ticket is picked. It's so much fun. The money goes to a charity of BOC's choosing. These ladies are great at raising money for different causes. :)  I got lucky and won Bianca D'Arc's basket. Can't wait to read the books that were in it.
As ya'll can see, fun was had by all! Hoping to be invited back next year.
Tara Nina
 

It's Summer!

And the living is. . .busy! I'm hoping it will get even busier with more writing and less running. As a teacher, a mom of three busy girls, and an active volunteer, I run a lot during the school year. My calendar is packed all school year long so I get very little writing done.

Last summer I wrote SON OF A PREACHER MAN, which was released in May. My goal for this summer is to finish CAT SCRATCH FEVER and write another story that has been brewing in the back of my mind for a while. Whether or not that happens is anyone's guess, but I'm going to try my hardest.

Part of my problem is, I'm my own worst enemy. I do my best writing in the mornings, but that's also when I get the most work done around the house or in the garden. And then there's always the errands that need to be run or children who just HAVE to be taken somewhere, fed something, or need to talk. If I could learn to write at night when everything is done and the kids are asleep, I bet I could get a lot more written. It would probably suck, but I'd have a lot of words on a page!

I think we all have our "optimal" times for working, or at least when we're the most on the ball. What about you? What's your best time? Do you have a job where you work at your worst time? How do you manage it?

Aaaand relax...

This weekend I am learning the art of forced relaxation. I've joined my parents on their boat on the Lancaster canal. For those who have never been on a canal boat before they only go a maximum of four miles per hour which means it takes HOURS to get anywhere. You have no choice but to sit back and relax. To add to this, there is no TV, no internet and in fact very little electricity. So no charging your phone up every few hours either. It's been 24 hours and so far I'm a little twitchy but haven't lost my mind yet. Even though I discovered yesterday my new book released ahead of schedule. So promo has been...difficult.
On the positive side, I've had no choice but to relax. I'll be posting pics to facebook and twitter of our trip over the next few days so if you want to follow along you can. In the meantime, tell me whether this is your idea of heaven or hell. What do you do to relax?

P.S. Please buy my new book Unconventional Romance about two hot cover models behaving badly with each other in a hotel full of women. Available now from Ellora's Cave

Restless

Restless.

That’s the perfect word to describe me these past few days.

I can’t sit still. My hands are always looking for something to do. I wander around the house only to end up exactly where I started.

I have a dozen things that need doing and not one that I want to do. Usually I suck it up and just go do it because the chore ain’t goin’ anywhere.

But once in a while, I just get, well, restless.

Shopping sometimes helps. So does taking a ride around one of the lakes (There are eleven Finger Lakes. Can you name them? Bonus points for adding in the five Great Lakes. First one to list all fifteen (correctly) in the comments wins a free download of Remembered Love – a short story I’ll be re-releasing soon).

But what mostly helps when I get in this mood? Reading a good book. Read one yesterday and one today. Both romances, one new, one old. Have to admit, I liked the new one better, even though the old one was still pretty good.  The new one was Lorraine Heath’s Lord of Wicked Intentions. Yes, I’m a sucker for a good Regency. Wouldn’t ever write one, myself. I’d goof up some piece of etiquette and the Regency readers would hand me my head. Minus the platter. I’ll stick with reading them.

And the old one – Jane Austen’s Persuasion. I’d read it about ten years ago or so, but it was on my Nexus (free download from Kindle) and I was out of other reading material—and still restless. A good read and I love Anne Elliot. Too much of the story is told, however, not shown and I wanted to watch (and hear) dialogue, not be told about it.

So how about you? What do you do when you can’t seem to settle down and the chores are a chore to do? What settles your restlessness?

Play safe!

Diana

(edited to correct the number of Finger Lakes. Thanks, Virginia! Good catch.)

Series: Love Them or Hate Them?

I've written five series so far, plus a collection of books which takes place in my fictional town of Lanville, Texas. I have more series planned for the future, and more books that will take place in Lanville. I love revisiting my characters, letting my readers know what those characters are doing ever since they received a happy ending in their own books. A series lets me do that.

I enjoy reading series for the reason I mentioned above—so I can find out what some of my favorite characters are doing once their book reaches the end. I received so many wonderful emails and comments about my Men With Tools series from readers wanting more of my hunky Coleman triplets. I've incorporated Rye, Dax and Griff into the firefighter books I'm writing now for Kensington Aphrodisia. You'll find out more about them, plus other characters who live in Lanville, in my upcoming books.

How about you? Do you enjoy reading series, or would you rather the book and characters wrap up in one volume? I'd love your opinion.

Lynn

Find out more about all my series by visiting the series page on my website:

http://www.lynnlafleur.com/lafleur_books_series.htm