My first e-reader came to me by force. It was many Christmases ago, when my logical-to-a-fault husband took a look at the guest room wall (floor-to-ceiling built-ins essentially vomiting paperbacks), noticed how much extra weight my suitcases carried on vacation (“But I don’t know what I’ll want to read first!”), and took the bold and courageous step of purchasing me a Kindle Touch.

I won’t say I felt like my dog, Shadow, unwrapping a box of flea and tick medication … or an electric collar. But, well, maybe a little.

But alas. While I hate to admit it. (Especially in writing to the entire world.) He was right and I was wrong.

As much as I railed against them in the beginning, it’s safe to say that I’m an e-book convert. In fact, it was my idea to upgrade my Kindle Touch to a shiny new Kindle Paperwhite a couple of years ago — and this time, opening the package was like opening a box filled with puppies sporting big, red bows on their heads.

Before e-books, spending a week in Punta Cana with twenty-three possible titles was a thing of fantasy. Before e-books, I wasted countless hours trying to predict what I’d be in the mood for this day or that. Before e-books, I actually had to use a book light if I read in bed while hubby was sleeping — a struggle that never seemed to work quite the way I wanted. And before e-books, millions more trees met untimely ends in order to stock our shelves. How’s that for an Earth Day connection?

Hypocrite warning: I’m not against paper books. And if I LOVE LOVE LOVE an e-book, there’s still a good chance I’ll purchase the paperback just so I can place it on that lovely guest room wall and make easy reference to it later. I did this with all three Hunger Games books (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay), for example, and have absolutely no regrets. But I’m also likely to purchase the Kindle version of something I have in print because it’s more portable — and yes, the chance of me getting to everything on that bookshelf is slim to none.

Yes, it’s a sickness. But I love it ;)

Need help choosing an e-book for Earth Day? Try an Amazon #1 bestseller like Desperately Ever After or its sequel, Damsels in Distress. The trees will smile and so will you ;) Continue reading →

It’s 11 p.m. My adorable menace is sprawled out like a drunk freshman in her crib. My dog, who’s still coming to terms with said menace’s arrival, is seeking solace in a ball at my feet. My husband is in the next room watching what sounds like a particularly terrifying episode of The Walking Dead. And despite accomplishing a fraction of what I intended before the day’s exhaustion set in, I’m capping the pen for the night.

But in honor of Valentine’s Day, I must first pass on Heather Havrilesky’s hilarious article for New York Magazine about the true definition of ‘romance.” Hint: It goes a heck of a lot further than the credits in a Rachel McAdams movie.

One of my favorite lines: “When it’s 10 p.m. and you crawl into bed like two old people and tell each other about the weird things that your kids said that day and laugh and tell stupid jokes and giggle and then maybe you feel like making out or maybe you just feel like playing a quick game of Candy Crush, all the while saying things like, ‘This game is stupid, it sucks’ and ‘Your feet are freezing’ and ‘My ass hurts,’ that’s romantic.”

Granted, her marriage still has three years on mine, but the sentiment still resonates — freezing feet and all ;)

Check it out: What Romance Really Means After 10 Years of Marriage

Whether you’re a fan or foe of the Hallmark holiday, there’s something for everyone during PageCurl’s Valentine’s Day blog hop this year — with 75 authors participating!

Head on over to my Facebook page for a chance to win one of three Kindle copies of Desperately Ever After, as well as one of four $25 Amazon gift cards.

Hurry up though … the cupid’s clock is ticking! Best of luck to you all ;)

“Then comes Winter with bluster and snow, that brings to our cheeks the ruddy glow…”
~ Gertrude Tooley Buckingham

If you long for a toasty snuggle on a cold winter’s night, this compilation of original short stories inspired by the magic of the holiday season—and more than a nod to  Jane Austen—is fancied as a sublime wintertime treat. Featuring short stories by four Meryton Press authors and seven up-and-coming winners of their Holiday Romance contest, Then Comes Winter offers a mix of contemporary and Regency musings.

I’m very happy to welcome one of the contributors, Maureen Lee Lenker, to Skipping Midnight today. After the interview, follow the Rafflecopter link to win a free copy of Then Comes Winter!

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Laura: Why did you decide to enter the Holiday Romance contest? What were you hoping to get out of it? 

Maureen: Well, I love to write, but often find my time to do so limited, so I really enjoy writing short stories as a way to get some completed ideas out into the world. I figure it’s good practice both writing and working with publishers and editors to work on short stories, so that if I ever do have  time to write a novel, I know my way a bit already.

I entered the Holiday Romance contest because I’d already entered the summer anthology contest with Meryton Press and narrowly missed getting selected. I received really helpful, wonderful feedback on my writing, so I thought that I might have a decent shot at getting in and at any rate, I would get more great feedback just like I did last time. I’d been published once before, in a holiday anthology last year entitled “Christmas Nookies,” and I loved that experience so I was eager to try again. I am obsessed with Christmas and with romance, so it feels very natural (and fun!) to write about both of those things at once.

Previously, I’ve only ever been published in e-book form, so I was hoping to get selected for the thrill of being able to see my work in a tangible book. I can’t believe this dream came true! And on top of that, I’ve been able to work with a top-notch editor who really made my work better and had the opportunity to meet more folks in the romance and Austen-esque community who are either other writers in the anthology or supporters of it.

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What is your story about?

My story is set in the Regency era. It’s about a young lady, Anne Riley, who eagerly awaits the arrival of her cousins and an accompanying mysterious and charming gentleman, Monsieur de Brun, who has recently fled France. Set against the backdrop of Christmas-time, Anne, her cousins, Monsieur de Brun, and her neighbor, James Turnbull, endeavor to put on a production of “Twelfth Night” for the holidays. Issues of love, friendship, and loyalty arise amidst the flutter of the holidays and rehearsing Shakespeare’s iconic comedy.

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What inspired you to write it? How do you find your ideas?

This story was inspired by several things–first, by my own love of Christmas, Christmas trees, and snowy, beautiful British landscapes and gardens. I loved the idea of placing a story in that setting because to me, it is one of the most romantic, idyllic places and times of year. I’m a hopeless romantic and Christmas-time is my absolute favorite time of year, so it’s easy to be inspired by the things I love.  Continue reading →