Jessica

RANDOM

WRITING

READING

ROMANCE

“That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the task itself has become easier, but that our ability to perform it has improved.” Ralph Waldo Emerson US essayist & poet (1803 – 1882)

RANDOM
My reading and writing tastes certainly mirror one another. I started my writing adventure with the intent of writing contemporary romantic suspense because I had been immersed in reading it . . . but, as it turned out, that first ‘book of my heart’ was not all that romantic or all that suspenseful.  My reading tastes have taken different turns since then, and while I still inhale a good romantic suspense story, I am equally excited for the latest releases from my favorite cozy mystery authors, chick lit scribes, and young adult novelists.  Still, spy me a good tale of international intrigue and espionage and I am a goner! 

WRITING
I am deeper into research and craft right now than I am on my daily writing goals.  The hope?  To be ready with a new project by the RWA National Conference in San Francisco in July.

  READING
I am still hooked on Borders Rewards. And my TBR pile shrinks and grows conversely to that of my time and budget. Sigh.

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:

The woman who started it all for me – Janet Evanovich.

And now the BIG question – Ranger or Morelli? How does one decide?!

Cozy Mysteries
Nancy Martin’s Blackbird Sisters Mysteries
Hailey Lind’s Art Lovers Mysteries
Deborah Donnelly’s Wedding Planner Mysteries
Susan McBride’s Debutante Dropout Mysteries

Young Adult
Lisi Harrison’s The Clique series
Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girl books
Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series

And if you’re a fan of YA, be sure to check out the Buzz Girls!

Chick Lit
I was dismayed to read that the Literary Chicks blog had come to an end, as a number of my favorite chick lit writers called that place home.  You can still pay them a visit, just click on Eileen Rendahl or Beth Kendrick.

For a chick-lit friendly blog, check out the reviews on: Trashonista

And if you have questions about Chick Lit, Cathy Yardley wrote a great how-to entitled, Will Write For Shoes.

Alpha Intrigue
As I mentioned, I am a sucker for thrillers, suspense, and international intrigue.  If Ludlum’s Jason Bourne series or Forsyth’s The Day of the Jackal was a must-read for you, I recommend Ted Bell’s Alexander Hawke series or the books Black and White by Christopher Whitcomb. 

Happy Reading!

ROMANCE
With such a varied reading list, you may wonder why I gravitate towards romance? For one, I like reading stories with happy and satisfying endings. But mostly, I am a sappy old soul who still believes in romance and love, chivalry and courtship, and the strong, inherent connection between two people meant for one another.

I also love poetry, and one of my favorite passages by the Persian mystic and poet, Rumi, best encapsulates my hope for love and romance:

The minute I heard my first love story I started looking for you, not knowinghow blind that was. Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere. They’re in each other all along.

–The Essential Rumi