RITA and Golden Heart calls are going out today! Somebody's going to get THE CALL!!!If it's you, we want to know! Leave us a comment and we'll celebrate with you!!
But meanwhile, the Banditas are on edge. Even if we don't have an entry in the contests this year, we're nervous for our friends.
How can we pay attention to anything but the telephone? Will it ever ring?We can all relate, right? After all, we Banditas met when we all finaled in the Golden Heart in 2006. I'll bet we all remember that day, right? Good things happen on RITA/GH Day, right? But it’s very stressful! It means so much! Who has time to blog???
Deep breaths, everyone.
Since we're all in a tizzy and unable to concentrate, today's post won't be about the weather (It’s a sunny 74 degrees today and I wore a wool jacket. *sigh*) or deadlines (Ack! Don't ask! The book’s due this week!!) or the core emotional theme of my book (huh?) because nobody cares!
We're all staring at the telephone!I think we need a small distraction while we wait for the phone to ring, so I've got a pop quiz for you! You’ll like this quiz. It’s all about our favorite books and authors.
I’ll go first.
What book is on your nightstand now? Jennifer Lyon’s BLOOD MAGIC
What was your favorite book when you were a child? Cinderella
Who are your top five authors? Nora Roberts, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Pat Conroy, Robert Crais, Julie Garwood
What book did you fake reading? One Hundred Years of Solitude
What book did you buy for the cover? Hmm. Have I ever done that?
What book changed your life? Catch-22
Favorite line(s) from a book: I'm thinking, I'm thinking. Any suggestions?
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? The Prince of Tides
Whether you take the quiz or not, one random commenter will win a $15 Amazon gift certificate!
And don’t forget to let us know if you GOT THE CALL!!!
140 comments:
:)
NOT AGAIN! The GR is definitely avoiding me. Limecello, I think you must be luring him with some cute young chicks!
Congrats limecello again for nabbing that rooster. He must like it at your house.
What book is on your nightstand now? The same book as yours Jennifer Lyon’s BLOOD MAGIC
What was your favorite book when you were a child? The Little Red Hen
Who are your top five authors? This is a hard one because I like a lot of authors, Constance O'banyon, Elizabeth Hoyt, Victoria Alexandra, Julia Anne Long, and Nora Roberts
What book did you fake reading? I am not sure I ever faked reading a book.
What book did you buy for the cover? I am not sure if I have ever bought a book for its cover although I like most historical covers and covers with sexy cowboys on them.
What book changed your life? I guess it would be Gone With The Wind because it started me into the reading world
Favorite line(s) from a book: Frankly my dear I don't give a Damn
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? Elaine Levine's Rachel and the Hird Gun, or Gone With The Wind
Limecello, this is getting ridiculous! Do you wear a special rooster perfume? Hmm, the idea of that is somehow NOT attractive ;-) Congratulations!
Kate, it's true. I don't have a horse in the race this year and I'm nervous on behalf of all my friends. Good luck, Banditas and Bandita Buddies! And make sure you tell us the minute you hear, OK? I've got a feeling we're going to end up with a good turnup this year!
Love the pop quiz.
What book is on your nightstand now? Liz Carlyle's Tempted All Night.
What was your favorite book when you were a child? Beauty and the Beast. Or Black Beauty. Or any of the Enid Blytons. Or... OK, you got me there!
Who are your top five authors?
Dorothy Dunnett, Loretta Chase, Laura Kinsale, Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte.
What book did you fake reading?
I don't think I ever faked reading something. Sorry!
What book did you buy for the cover? Possession by A.S. Byatt.
What book changed your life?
Claiming the Courtesan.
Favorite line(s) from a book: Reader, I married him. Jane Eyre! Mind you, the one about the single man and the wife from P&P is pretty darn starry too. And the one from Anna Karenina about happy families being all the same and unhappy families all being different in their unhappiness. Books are full of great lines! ;-)
GOOD LUCK, EVERYONE!!!!!!!!
Anyway, now that I've recovered from my disappointment, I must admit I bailed on the Golden Heart. Nothing was ready to submit; still isn't. A lot of my friends submitted, so I'm keeping fingers crossed for them. And for all you Rita-possibles, too!
Now, the quiz:
What book is on your nightstand now? Jennifer Lyon’s BLOOD MAGIC is in my TBR pile, but at the moment I'm reading Nalini Singh's Angel's Blood.
What was your favorite book when you were a child? All the Nancy Drew books, Daddy Long-Legs, and The Tall Book of Make Believe.
Who are your top five authors? Nora Roberts' older books are favorites, but I haven't liked her new ones as much.
Jennifer Crusie, Anna Campbell, Susan Elizabeth Phillips,
Shana Abe, Virginia Kantra, Kresley Cole, J.R. Ward, Nalini Singh, Anne Stuart, Linda Howard.
I know that's twice as many as we're supposed to list, but even this was really hard.
What book did you fake reading? In the Woods by Tana French. I read The Likeness first, and loved it. I got impatient with In the Woods, didn't like it nearly as much as The Likeness, and finally gave up and passed it on to my son's girlfriend. She preferred The Likeness, too.
What book did you buy for the cover? The Monsters of Templeton -- loved that cover! And John Connolly's The Book of Lost Things. Although, I probably would have bought them both anyway.
What book changed your life? Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut, Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain, the first Agatha Christie book I ever read (Funerals are Fatal).
Favorite line(s) from a book:
Way too many to pick out just one.
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? Jennifer Crusie's Tell Me Lies.
Oh wait, best line: Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."
Oooh, I can't wait to find out the RITA and Golden Heart nominees! Good luck Banditas and friends!
I will answer a few of the questions.
What book is on your nightstand now? LOVE WITH THE PERFECT SCOUNDREL by Sophia Nash
What was your favorite book when you were a child? Hmmm...Can I remember that far back? Oh, yes, I loved the Nancy Drew books.
Who are your top five authors? I have to name just five?! OK, Jennifer Crusie, Kristan Higgins, Anna Campbell, Lisa Kleypas, and Julia Quinn. But there are many others!
Favorite line from a book:
One of my favorites is from WELCOME TO TEMPTATION by Jennifer Crusie. Phin says to Sophie, "Marry me, Julie Ann. Ruin the rest of my life." :-)
Cheryl/Cheri
Hey, missed what book I'd like to read again for the first time. Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase.
Hey, Becke, thanks for including me in that stellar lineup. Mwah!
Hey, Cheryl, you too? Wow! Thank you. Kate, I'm enjoying this blog muchly. ;-)
Yay RITA and GH Day!
To answer your questions, Kate...
1. I don't have a night stand, and I currently have a big pile of books sitting next to me that I don't think I'm allowed to disclose O_o So uhhh something I've yet to finish >.< Sam's Creed by Sarah McCarty
2. One?!?! Witch of Blackbird Pond I read the most, I guess - the count should be over 30 now, but I loved the little house books- which I re-read once a year, L. M. Montgomery, Madeline L'Engle, the Xanth books, all the Baby Sitter's Club, Boxcar Children... yeah I'm the kid the librarian tried to limit. True story.
3. Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Lisa Kleypas, Jane Austen (no *seriously - I've written a thesis on one of her books and I've always read all of them voluntarily), Madeline L'Engle, L.M. Montgomery ... I can add more, right? Erin McCarthy, Shannon McKenna, Sarah Mayberry...
4. It took me a looong time to read Candide- in fact, I'm still not done. It's been nearly 8 years since I started >.< I think that suffices. Although it took me 6 weeks to read Wuthering Heights. (Note - given enough free time, I can read two books a day. Three if I get up a little earlier.) It was almost embarassing how long it took me - and I didn't enjoy it.
5. I don't know if I've ever done that.
6. ...
7. Bah - can't think of any off the top of my head but I know I have a lot. One is where the hero tells the heroine not to laugh at him - he's trying to propose to her. It's really cute.
You're welcome, Anna! I can answer another one of the questions now.
What book did you buy for the cover? Any book that has Nathan Kamp on the cover is hard to pass up! ;-)
Cheryl
Oooo ok - so seconding Treethyme - and also added the *end* of A Tale of Two Cities... LOVE both the beginning and ending. Might be my favorite in any book ever, EVER. And I'm not even that into Dickens. (At all.)
Also love the beginning of Pride and Prejudice...
And you know, I really like Alexander Dumas too.
I don't know that I've ever "pretended" to read a book. But there have been ones I wanted to read, and never got around to, or tried, and then got distracted.
Love the quiz! :)
What book is on your nightstand now? "Raven Prince" by Elizabeth Hoyt (re-reading it)
What was your favorite book when you were a child? Holes by Louis Sachar
Who are your top five authors? Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Rachel Gibson, Janet Evanovich, J.R. Ward & Jennifer Crusie
What book did you fake reading? "Water for Elephants"
What book did you buy for the cover? He he! I just bought a Larissa Ione book for the cover but it turned out to be REALLY good! :)
What book changed your life? Not sure if one changed my life...some have made me view things differently....I'm more of a romance girl, not a lot of them out there with HUGE moral dilemmas....
Favorite line(s) from a book: Once upon a time, Minerva Dobbs thought as she stood in the middle of a loud yuppie bar, the world was full of good men. < Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie...1st line! :)
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? Probably the J.R. Ward Brotherhood series....but only the first 3!
Excited about the nominations!! Thanks for the quiz, loved it!
What book is on your nightstand now? "Suspicious" by Heather Graham
What was your favorite book when you were a child? "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak
Who are your top five authors? Agatha Christie, Robert Louis Stevenson, Julie Garwood, Julia Ross, Lisa Kleypas
What book did you fake reading? "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand
What book did you buy for the cover? Haven't bought a book based solely on the cover.
What book changed your life? "My Antonia" by Willa Cather
Favorite line(s) from a book: Can't think of any right now.
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? Julie Garwood's "Saving Grace"
I can't believe I'm doing this at 1:30 a.m. :)
What book is on your nightstand now? Liz Carlyle's Tempted All Night.
What was your favorite book when you were a child? Maud Hart Lovelace's Betsy-Tacy books
Who are your top five authors?
Five? You are kidding, right? OK, I'll go with
Emily Dickinson, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, L. M. Montgomery, and Virginia Woolf
What book did you fake reading?
I made up a book for a book report once. Does that count?
What book did you buy for the cover? I don't think I have ever bought a book for its cover.
What book changed your life?
Black Like Me
Favorite line(s) from a book:
"There is so little to remember of anyone - an anecdote, a conversation at a table. But every memory is turned over and over again, every word, however chance, written in the heart in the hope that memory will fulfill itself, and become flesh, and that the wanderers will find a way home, and the perished, whose lack we always feel, will step through the door finally and stroke our hair with dreaming habitual fondness not having meant to keep us waiting long."
— Marilynne Robinson, Housekeeping
I forgot the last question too.
What book would you most want to read again for the first time?
Kathleen Gilles Seidel's Till the Stars Fall
LOL Treethyme, I think you're right about the cute chicks! Wait, maybe Anna's got the right idea. You're wearing rooster perfume, aren't you, limecello!! Whatever you're doing, our fowl friend is loving your digs!!
Hey Virginia, you're reading Jennifer's BLOOD MAGIC, too! Hope you're loving it! She's built a great world with her witches and sexy wing-slayer hunters. Gritty and interesting and totally different from anything I've read before, with a fascinating back story. I'm three-quarters through and hating for it to end.
And frankly my dear,I loved GONE WITH THE WIND, too. :-)
Hi Anna! Hey, you and me both. I've got nothing entered for the second year running, but I'm chewing my fingernails for all my friends and Banditas.
I simply love "Reader, I married him." :-)
Treethyme, hi!! The Nancy Drew books were my constant companions growing up. I had the entire collection and reread them constantly. :-)
I almost mentioned Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle as the book that changed my life. I was reading him around the time as Catch-22 and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. All life-changing books for me.
Love Nora's oldies, too!!
Hi Cheri! I love that line from WELCOME TO TEMPTATION! Actually, I just loved the whole book.
And you're an Anna Campbell fan. Me, too. :-)
limecello, I love rereading Jane Austen, too. And I used to read a few books a day when I was younger. We used to move every summer and for several months I had no friends except my local librarian, LOL. Reading was my favorite way to escape. :-)
Now it's hard with family and day jobs and deadlines but if I could hunker down and read two books a day I would be a happy girl.
Oh no. No, no, no. Why? Why did I have to choose today to mosey over to the Banditas? Damn procrastination!!! See, the P word is baaad.
I didn't know it was RITA day :-( I was blissfully ignorant. Now every time the phone rings my stoopid foolish heart will be thinking...maybe...
Even though my head says not to be so bloody up myself. It's such a big pond and medicals are such a niche market and I always do terribly. Like 3's and 4's.
But still, I know it'll be there. At the back of my mind every time the phone rings....and because I told my husband if I final I'm going to Washington so he better get used to it. And I do so want to go to Washington...
Wah, Katie :-(
Why?
Okay - whinge over. Good luck to all the Bandita's. May the Golden lady and the golden heart shine on you all.
sOB.....
What book on your night stand right now?
Then comes seduction by Mary Balogh
Favorite book as a child
Charlotte's Web
Top 5 authors
Johanna Lendsey,Lisa KLEYPAS
Jane feather,Nora Roberts,Eloisa James
What book did you buy for the cover.none that i can think of
What book did you fake reading
MY Science book when i was in school.
What book changed your life.
I'm not sure of the name .but i no it was an historical romance.after reading it i got in to learning about history
What book would you most want to read again for the first time.
Man of my dreams by Johanna lindsey
- What book is on your nightstand now?
Uh, quite a few--I think at the very top of the stack at the moment is Spin the Bottle, by Elizabeth Scott.
- What was your favorite book when you were a child?
Hmm... I loved Beverly Cleary, Noel Streatfield, Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books, Betty MacDonald's Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle... Not sure I had a single favorite!
- Who are your top five authors?
SEP, Loretta Chase, Julia Quinn, Jennifer Crusie, Nora Roberts BUT I could easily name another 20 that I also love!
- What book did you fake reading?
I think one of those tomes for high school English--Anna Karenina maybe? I'm pretty sure I finished the Brothers Karamazov but I still haven't read War and Peace OR a bunch of Dickens! *blushing*
- What book did you buy for the cover?
I'm not sure I've done this, but I am sorely tempted by a couple of really cute crafty books that feature little animals made out of orphaned socks and such ;)
- What book changed your life?
The Bible. Ooh, also Fast Food Nation, but in a totally different way ;)
- Favorite line(s) from a book:
I'm awful about remembering favorite lines! There are so many good ones, and then they fall right out of my head!
- What book would you most want to read again for the first time?
Not sure I could choose just one; the keepers are all excellent even the zillionth time around :D
Congrats, Limecello! What's the GR reading today? ;)
Janga, that excerpt was beautiful. Thanks for putting it up. It's not a book I know. But that was just exquisite. And I see your good taste extends to what's on your bedside table! ;-)
Cheryl, Welcome to Temptation is a hoot, isn't it? It's one of my all-time faves. Did you see I wrote a review of it for Romance Novel TV last month? http://www.romancenovel.tv/wordpress/2009/03/13/anna-campbell%E2%80%99s-review-of-welcome-to-temptation-by-jennifer-crusie/
Kate, I'm not even in the contest this year, and I'm chewing my nails! Hey, Amy, GOOD LUCK!!! I'd love the conjoined twins book to get up - I thought that was absolutely fantastic.
Kate, thanks for the fan comment! You're a doll!
Oops, forgot to play. I AM procrastinating after all!
Nightstand book - about 20! But am reading Cathy Kelly "Just Between Us".
Fav book as a kid - Anne of Green Gables
Top 5 - Jenny Crusie, SEP, Rachel Gibson, Evanovich (sounds like RachG's list...) and #5 too hard to call
Fake read - dont think I've ever faked it either. If I don't like it I just wont bother. Ducking for cover here but I have to say Pride and Prejudice was read through flicking mainly in the vain hope it might get better. And I dont know if this counts but I've had Moby Dick on my bedstand for 2 years now - one day....
Cover buy - don't think I've ever done that??
Life changer - Getting Rid of Bradley by JC. I knew after reading it that was the type of book I wanted to write.
Oh and the first one I ever wrote beause it was so bad and it was my first R and made me determined to crack the market.
Fav line - I'm with the Charles Dickens opener - I know that whole beginning off by heart. The last line is a humdinger too.
Any JC opener. How about this one?
"The man behind the cluttered desk looked like the devil and Nell Dysart figured that was par for her course since she'd been going to hell for a year and a half anyway."
Or Rachel Gibson - "The first time Clare Wingate found herself in a strange bed, she'd been 21, the victim of a bad break-up and too many Jello-O shooters."
Read again - hmmm... can anyone guess? :-)
Okay ... procrastination over...
What book is on your nightstand now? Voices From the World of Jane Austen
What was your favorite book when you were a child? Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Who are your top five authors? Diana Gabaldon, Sharon Penman, Jane Austen, Loretta Chase, Jo Beverley, Anna Campbell, Elizabeth Chadwick (so I can’t count :))
What book did you fake reading? My high school science text book. It was this humongous blue book that weighed a ton and was at least 6 inches thick. I hated the days I had to carry it home!
What book did you buy for the cover? Haven’t really done this although I plan to buy DG’s new book with the UK cover rather than the US (I like the blue) :)
What book changed your life? I don’t think any book really changed my life, unless it’s Little Women, which was the first historical book I read and gave me a love of that genre.
Favorite line(s) from a book: “To Ada, Ruby’s monologues seemed composed mainly of verbs, all of them tiring. Plow, plant, hoe, cut, can, feed, kill.” (Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier) I love “…verbs, all of them tiring.” It says so much about how the character is feeling.
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? Outlander
Anna, I loved your answer to what book changed your life. :)
Good luck for the Ritas and GH, Banditas!!
Peggy, I see you're a science lover too. :)
answers lol
red hot valentine antho (megan hart)
ramona books
vicki thompson, leslie kelly, alison kent, erin mccarthy, megan hart
farehient
none
none
romeo oh romoe
romeio and juleit like shakespare
thanks
Hi Kate:
On the nightstand...Kill for Me by Karen Rose
Favorite childhood book: Go Dogs Go! and all of the Beverly Cleary books. Cleary's The Luckiest Girl, Fifteen and Jean and Johnny were my first "romances".
Top five authors: Yikes...too many really. SEP, Karen Rose, Anna Campbell, Grace Metalious, Linda Howard.
Fake read: The closest was Bel Canto. I skimmed it for book club and still hated it.
Book bought for the cover: Honeymoon with My Brother
Book that changed my life: The Graduate (I was ten when I read it)
Favorite lines: Live! Live! Life is a banquet, most poor suckers are starving to death (Auntie Mame by Dennis Patrick)
What book to reread: It Had to be You by SEP. Hilarious.
Hey, Cheryl, you woman of exquisite taste, you! That line from Cold Mountain is great. I've always avoided that book because it looked rather depressing. Maybe I should give it a go after all.
Hey, Jen, thanks for listing me. Seriously, I'm blushing! And it's not a pretty sight! ;-) I know you and I share a great enthusiasm for Aunty Mame. Must read it again - it always absolutely cracks me up. Much better than the movies!
hey Kate!
What book is on your nightstand now? I don't read in bed, I read at work to help keep me awake, so in my bag for work right now...hehehe, such a suck up answer, but... Homicide In Hardback And I am enjoying it immensely!
What was your favorite book when you were a child? The Story of Ping
Who are your top five authors? Julie Garwood, Jayne Ann Krentz in all her forms, Louis L'Amour, Robert Ludlum and a tie between: Sherrilyn Kenyon, JR Ward and Jo Davis!
What book did you fake reading? Uhm...I read 250 books a year, I don't have the time to fake reading anything!
What book did you buy for the cover? I can't tell you because, the book cover kept enticing me to buy it. After about three weeks, I gave in. Sigh, the story and writing did not hold up to the promise the cover gave!
What book changed your life? Brickman's Scene and Structure! Had tons of epiphenies about my writing and HOW to write a story.
Favorite line(s) from a book Okay I have to paraphrase this one from Pride & Prejudice...."What are we put on this earth for if not to make sport of our neighbors and in return be sport for them?"
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? Saving Grace by Julie Garwood!
Fedora, I too loved Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. I read all the books! They should be recommended reading for all elementary school kids!
Anna: You blushing? You who wrote those heated love scenes...you're blushing?
Well done limcello enjoy another day with your best friend
Best wishes to everyonw who has entered I have my fingers crossed for you all.
Great questions Kate my answers are
What book is on your nightstand now? Bride Of A Wicked Scotsman Samantha James
What was your favorite book when you were a child? The Secret Seven Books by Enid Blyton
Who are your top five authors?
This is hard for me Kathleen Woodiwiss, Anna Campbell, Loucinda McGary, Christine Wells, Nalini Singh, and all of the Bndits
What book did you fake reading?
The Searchers when I was in high school
What book did you buy for the cover? Hmm don't think I have done this yet
What book changed your life? Probably Sweet Savage Love Rosemary Rogers it was the first historical romance I read
Favorite line(s) from a book:
Frankly my dear I Don't Give A Dam from Gone With The Wind
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? Claiming The Courtesan
Again good luck to everyone
Have Fun
Helen
Hi Kate! I can't really say that I'm waiting by the phone. I'll be catching zzzs when all the calls go out, but good luck to all who entered! I'm sure we'll see many Banditas and Bandita Buddies on the list.
What book is on your nightstand now? AMERICA AT NIGHT by Larry J Kolb
What was your favorite book when you were a child? The Secret Garden, The Little Princess (tied)
Who are your top five authors? In genre romance--Laura Kinsale, Liz Carlyle, Loretta Chase, Georgette Heyer, Susan Elizabeth Phillips (I'm sure I'm missing someone here)
What book did you fake reading? The Way of All Flesh
What book did you buy for the cover? Can't think of one but I'm sure I've done it.
What book changed your life? God of Small Things.
Favorite line(s) from a book: It's not something I can write here but one of my faves involves Julie-Ann and a bear.
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? The Scarlet Pimpernel
Hmm, I'm a Libran. I can't handle so many absolutes!
Congrats, Limecello!
Aww, Helen, what a sweetheart you are!
I gotta say as well I have just finished Homicide in Hardcover and Every Time We Kiss and loved them both thanks Kate and Christie for two wonderful stories.
Christine I have loved both of your books and am very much looking forward to the next one.
Have Fun
Helen
I'm not expecting a call either - hockey hunks are so polarising! But am eagerly awaiting the chance to cheer on my fellow Banditas, BB's and some great friends.
Great post, Kate - fun questions!
What's on your nightstand now - PC Cast's Goddess of Light (but the TBR mountain behind my nightstand is tottering dangerously!)
Favourite children's book: Oh so many - Laura Ingalls Wilder, Anne of Green Gables, Danny Fox, Gobbolino the Witches Cat and the Secret Garden. Oh and Flambards. Oh and Ping! (Suz! You, me and Anne Gracie love that book!)
Top '5' authors? LOL only 5? OK - leaving aside Banditas and WAP - Susan Mallery, Susan Eizabeth Phillips, Mariah Stewart, Lisa Gardner, Kate Angell.
Oh and Allison Brennan, Deirdre Martin, Eloisa James, Suz Brockmann, JD Robb, Virginia Kantra, Christine Rimmer, PC Cast, Tess Gerritsen, Geralyn Dawson, Kathleen Kane and Sandra Hill and ... *sigh* you know me, once a rebel, always a rebel!
Fake reading: I don't know that I ever did that, but the first book I never finished was Catch 22.
Cover: Can't think of one
Book that changed my life: the first romance - Bride at Whangatapu by Robyn Donald. I can't remember the first Denise Robins, but they were at the same time - and got me into romances!
Favourite lines - The P&P one - and, it's not from a book exactly, but the line from the promo for SEP's Natural Born Charmer where she's stuck and asks her husband what to do - and he says 'whatever you do, don't put her in a beaver suit' and she says something like 'and I was off!'.
Read again: Not a clue!
Hey Anna - I loved Ping as well.
Congrats, Limecello! I hope you've made over the guest room. *g*
What book is on your nightstand now? The printed out from her word processor copy of Sabrina Jeffries' two books from now release Wed Him Before You Bed Him. It's Charlotte and Cousin Michael's book. I know who he is!!!
What was your favorite book when you were a child? Dr. Seuss's The Sneetches (which explains SO much about me!).
Who are your top five authors? Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Liz Carlyle, J.D. Robb, Elizabeth Peters, Harlan Coben
What book did you fake reading? The Great Gatsby in high school. Finally read it for a book club last month!
What book did you buy for the cover? I don't think I've done that, actually. I'm too cheap.
What book changed your life? Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. My essay about it won me the Jeannie Gray Golden Friendship Award this year!
Favorite line(s) from a book: "And being a bail enforcement agent is sort of like being a bare-bottom Barbie." Actually, pick any opening from a Stephanie Plum book. Priceless! I also love it every time Elizabeth Peters refers to tea as "that congenial beverage" or mentions Emerson's "sapphirine eyes". *g*
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? Marge Piercy's Gone To Soldiers. It's a WWII-era saga told from 4 points of view. It was an AMAZING first read for me.
This was fun!
Oh, no, I forgot Loretta Chase! She should definitely be in the top five. I also adored LaVyrle Spencer and Rosamunde Pilcher and Anne MacCaffrey. Too many!!
Morning Banditas and BB's! Good luck to all who are awaiting calls today!
Congrats, Limecello.
No nightstand but book I'm currently reading is WHEN A STRANGER LOVES ME by Julianne MacLean.
I honestly don't remember a childhood favorite but I know I read a lot of Nancy Drew mysteries.
Top 5 authors? I couldn't possibly limit it to just five.
I don't think I've ever faked reading a book. At least, not that I remember.
I read the back cover blurb before putting it in my cart but the cover of Robyn Carr's VIRGIN RIVER really called to me and make me take it off the shelf for a closer look.
Books that changed my life? Victoria Holt (don't remember which book) opened my eyes to the world of romance fiction. HOT by Julia Harper was the first book I reviewed for RNTV and set me on a new course that is both challenging and exciting.
Favorite Line? Can't think of any at the moment.
I'd love to read Julie Garwood's SAVING GRACE for the first time again. It's my all-time favorite comfort read.
A quick good morning to all--I'm off to work but will try to sneak peeks today.
I have no horse in this race but did judge GH and so am excited to see names that come up!
I just saw on another site: http://judifennell.wordpress.com/ghrita-finalists/
that a long historical called Forfeit’s Lady, by Pat Detweiler is a GH final. Isn't that a great title?
Happy day, ladies, and I'll try to play the quiz later. :)
1) Cutting Loose-Susan Anderson
2) The Prince & The Pauper
3) Diana Palmer,Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Heather Graham, Sandra Brown, Nora Roberts, Elizabeth Lowell, Linda Howard,Carly Phillips, Jill Shalvis, Alison Kent to name a few!!
4)War & Peace... just never got started
5)Never bought just for the front cover. Have bought several based on the back excerpt.
6)Forgiving-LaVyrle Spencer- introduced me to the romance line!
7) The two most memorible have already been stated.
Shakespere's Romeo & Juliet
Romeo, Oh Romeo, Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
How about: It's a Wonderful Life-"My teacher says that when you hear a bell ring an angel earns it's wings."
OOPS forgot What book I'd reread: A Woman Without Lies- Elizabeth Lowell.
The scene close to the end where he finds her gone, but, discovers her gift: a stained glass painting, with the bird with the blood red tear... makes me cry!
What book is on your nightstand now? Lynne Viehl's If Angels Burn
What was your favorite book when you were a child? Snow White
Who are your top five authors? Lisa Kleypas,Sherrilyn Kenyon, Elizabeth Hoyt, Lara Adrian, Keri Arthur
What book did you fake reading? War and Peace
What book did you buy for the cover? I have never bought a book for the cover.
What book changed your life? Can't think of one that did.
Favorite line(s) from a book:
Can't think of one
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? The Raven Prince
*Blink*
Taking a quick sidetrip from staring at the phone :-)
What book is on your nightstand now? Pat Rice's Mystic Rider
What was your favorite book when you were a child? A Lantern in Her Hand. Story of a pioneer woman from childhood through living in a sod house, raising a family and seeing the world change.
Who are your top five authors?
I agree this is hard. Nora, Suzanne Brockmann, JR Ward, Lori Handiland and Pamela Clare
What book did you fake reading?
Do Cliff Notes count?
What book did you buy for the cover? One I bought last year. Can't quite remember the title "A Perfect Stranger" maybe? Had a guy who looked just like the guy who was killed off of LOST...that cute guy? Wow...can't remember much except those bedroom eyes..
What book changed your life? Every book I've ever read.
Favorite line(s) from a book: Morgan MacKinnon holds his newborn son and this braw Scots frontiersman says in awe"He's so wee!"
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? Too many to count. I do have a core library that I re-read on a regular basis. Any Irish anything from Nora...puts me right there on the Emerald Isle
Fun post, Kate! Now....back to watching the phone ;-)
The book on my nightstand is Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James.
My favorite book was the series Little House on the Prairie.
I have a lot of favorite authors but five that come to mind are Nora Roberts, Lisa Kleypas, Linda Howard, Jayne Anne Krentz, Loretta Chase.
I am looking forward to seeing what books are picked today. Good luck to all the authors.
Good morning, Kate! Great post today to distract our phone-watchers (cough*JT*cough). :-)
I'm currently steeped in Vince Flynn--my brother in law told me I had to read him if I wanted to understand the thriller audience, & I'm really digging him. The writing is only adequate (if that--sorry in advance to any VF fans out there) but his pacing sizzles, his plots are huge & he has this gift for orienting the reader into a scene immediately--no small task when you have a cast of characters in the dozens, you're writing in the omniscient POV, & all your guys have an alphabet soup of CIA/FBI/NSA/SS job titles.
So I'm learning. :-)
As for books that changed my life, I have to say Jennifer Crusie's Welcome to Temptation. She was the first author I read who made anger funny, & I thought, "I want to be her when I grow up." I've since decided I want to her & SEP's love child with a little of Nora's gift for branding tossed in for good measure.
It's a dream, right? :-)
Thinking of all you phone watchers today! Let's hear some good news!
We've had news that a Bandita got the call this morning!!!
KJ!!!!!! Wooo hoooooooo!!!! Kim got the Golden Heart call!!!
I'm soooo happy for you, Kim!!!! LOL, can you tell?? :-)
Who's next????????
Hi RachieG - I remember that first line from Bet Me, too. Great book! And I enjoyed that Elizabeth Hoyt trilogy, too! She's another one of our 2006 finalists! We're so proud! :-)
I know what you mean about moral dilemmas, LOL. But still, there are some romances that I might've mentioned that changed my life. BORN IN FIRE is one. That was the first contemporary romance I ever read and I never looked back! :-)
Hi Jane! Wow, can't believe I didn't add Agatha Christie to my faves list. I grew up reading and rereading her books.
Also had to laugh at The Fountainhead. I never could read that one, either! But I talked to a woman last night who said it was one of her favorite books ever. Different strokes, right? :-)
Congrats to KJ!!! And fingers crossed for lots of ringing phones to all other in the hunt. I am not, but it's still so exciting!
I'm not sure I can answer all these, but I'll give it my best shot.
What book is on your nightstand now? Divorced, Desperate, and Dating by Christie Craig. This woman has an amazing talent for ending every chapter in a way that you CANNOT put it down. Gah!
What was your favorite book when you were a child? Encyclopedia Brown books. You'd think I'd write mysteries, but no. :)
Who are your top five authors? LaVyrle Spencer, Dorothy Garlock, Julie Garwood, SEP, Jennifer Crusie. I would like to be Sue's twin (the love child thing above) when I grow up.
What book did you fake reading? Huckleberry Finn. I was 17 and my mom was having a baby. Never did get to the end of that book.
What book did you buy for the cover? I have to come clean with this one. It was an erotic book by Lacey Alexander called Carter's Cuffs. Seriously, google that cover and you'll see it was worth it.
What book changed your life? Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Should be required reading for all women over 30 IMO.
Favorite line(s) from a book: "The best way to get over somebody is to get under somebody else." Richard from Texas in Eat Pray Love.
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? Since my memory is shot, I could probably read most of the books I read more than five years ago and it would feel like the first time. *sigh*
What book is on your nightstand now? I keep many near me, so the one I'm presently reading (rereading actually) is There Goes the Bride by Lori Wilde
What was your favorite book when you were a child? Miss Nelson is Back
Who are your top five authors? 5, geez. . . Lisa Kleypas, Jane Austen, Albert Einstein, Marianne Stillings, Julia Quinn
What book did you fake reading? the books we had to read in high school ;)
What book did you buy for the cover? I've not bought books based on the cover, but not really the other way around -- I like looking at covers, but it's all about what's written on the back
What book changed your life? A Brief History of Time by Steven Hawking
Favorite line(s) from a book: oh brother, I can't think of any right now!!! LOL
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? I reread plenty all the time, either because I want to, or because I want to because I can't buy any new books for a long stretch of time, but there are some I haven't gotten to reread yet, one that is on my next list is the second historical/LK book I got, Where Dreams Begin. Been ages. :)
Lois
Addendums to my post: Have to include Suzanne Brockmann and Kristan Higgins in my favorite authors. Also Agatha Christie and Mary Stewart.
Favorite book as a kid: Also have to add A Hundred Million Francs by Paul Berna and A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle.
Book I faked reading: How could I forget J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye? I hated that book, and it was assigned reading when I was in 7th grade. And we had to write an essay about it.
I read a couple of chapters and noticed there was a dog. Wrote the essay from the point of view of Holden Caulfield's dog, got an A+ and was a teacher's pet for the rest of the year. Learned that being creative with writing could be useful!
Speaking of which, I don't know if this is true, but I read that J.D. Salinger got the name for the protagonist in that book while strolling down Broadway. There was a movie marquee with the names William Holden and Joan Caulfield, and Salinger's most famous character got his name.
Congratulations, KJ! Was it for ONE SHOT, TWO KILLS?
Two people in my chapter have gotten the GH call: Liz Bemis and Jackie Floyd. TWO of Liz's stories finaled!
Congrats, KJ! Awesome news!
Hi all!
I got the call!!!!
THE DANGEROUS DUKE finaled in the RITA Regency historical category.
ahhh. I'm having heart palpitations. It's 1am here, and I really need sleep but I'm bouncing off the walls with no one to talk to!
Talk to us, Christine! CONGRATULATIONS! I am so, so, so happy for you!!!!
Christine, go post it on Facebook. LOTS of people are waiting to celebrate with you!
CHRISTINE!!!!!!! HAPPY dancing in California for you!!!!!
Wooohooooo!!!! TDD sooo deserves this!!!!
Treethyme and everyone, KJ is a finalist for BOTH BOOKS!!!!!
Yeow, that girl is HAWT!!!!
Um, Louisa? Are you in the vicinity or are you passed out--er, having the vapors on your fainting couch?????
Do you have something to share with us???? :-)
There's an official listing of finalists as they receive their calls here...
http://www.rwanational.org/cs/contests_and_awards/2009_rita_and_gh_finalists_announcement#RCST
Oh, thanks so much, PJ and Kate! And isn't that fantastic about KJ (double finalist--she doesn't do anything by halves!) and Louisa as well. I hope Louisa will come on and celebrate.
PJ, you're a darling. I've just seen your fb message. Wow, it's after 1am here but I don't think I can sleep!
LOL @ Kate. I emailed Louisa and told her to get herself over to the lair and report in!
Janga, that's a beautiful quote. Thanks for sharing!
LOL on your book report! Didn't everyone do that at least once in their lives??
KJ -- That's awesome! Double congrats on the GH!
And Christine, that is INCREDIBLE news about the Rita!
There will sure be a lot of cheering going on for Banditas at National!
Woooohooooo!!! So great to see KJ's two finals and Christine's RITA final.
Yes, where is Louisa?! I spotted her name too.
I also some spotted some our guests getting the nod! You know you get the best in the Lair!
Big squeeeee to everyone who finaled in the RITA or Golden Heart.
Limecello, I think you can now take a franchise out on the rooster you've gotten him so many times!
LOL, Kate, I think EVERYONE faked reading Hundred Years of Solitude. I know I did. But I also faked reading Crime and Punishment for a college class. I did penance later, however, by teaching it to my AP kids. Karma, baby, karma.
And BTW, Jennifer's Blood Magic is on my nightstand too. It just came in my Amazon package.
I've gotten a renewed respect for Nora Roberts' writing, so I have to say she's my favorite romance writer.
Yay to our own Christine Wells!!! The Dangerous Duke certainly deserves its RITA nomination. We'll all be cheering for you in D.C., my Bandita friend.
KJ, I missed your announcement here about your TWO finals in the Golden Heart -- BREATHLESS and ONE SHOT, TWO KILLS. WTG, girl, you rock!
My eyes! My eyes! I can't see for all the "golden" finaling here!
Congratulations all around! In honor of your accomplishment and to prove he's holds no grudge, Demetrius is plating his shield in gold and will "sled" anyone who wants...
Um, that didn't come out exactly right.. :-)
I can't keep up as all the names keep flying. Congrats to KJ (I think she has TWO noms, right?!) and to Christine and Louisa!!! It's going to be so fun cheering for everyone in July!!!
Congrats Banditas! And I wanted to chime in that PASSIONATE is a RITA finalist for Best First Book. Hope to see a bunch of you at Nationals!
Currently reading THE CHARMER by Madeline Hunter.
Top 5 authors? Tough one. Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game is an amazing book), Patricia McKillip for incredibly lush language. Mary Balogh for characterization. Robin McKinley for fairy tales and love stories. Um, that's only 4 but I have about a hundred all competing for the last slot. :)
Have a great day, all!
I'm HEEERE !!!!
Can you believe this, because I CAN'T !!! My phone rang at 8:18 AM (after I called in sick to work, which I debated right up to the minute the alarm went off. I didn't think I would get a call.) And when I answered the phone it was MADELINE HUNTER !!! Can you believe it! Madeline Hunter called ME!! Poor woman had to listen to me go on about how much I love her books before she could tell me THE RAVEN'S HEART finaled !! That operatic scream you heard was ME!!
And then I read the rest of the list. KJ with TWO !!! TWO ???? AMAZING !!! And then I saw Christine's darling Dangerous Duke is a RITA finalist???? YAY!!! So well deserved and so exciting !!
Limecello, obviously read KJ's kidnapped post and took it way too seriously! Chicken perfume indeed!
Oh and quiz. There was a quiz. Let me do it to keep from bouncing off the walls.
What's on my nightstand?
Nicola Cornick's The Wayward Widow, actually. Rereading it because I love it.
What was my favorite book as a child?
Black Beauty, hands down. I still have my much loved original copy. My parents gave it to me in 1964 when I was six.
Who are my top five authors?? Are you kidding me?? I have a top one hundred! And the Banditas are all on it. Have you read Kate's book?? Isn't it fantastic??
So, if forced to chose just five to name I would have to say :
Anna Campbell
Diane Gaston
Nicola Cornick
Jane Austen
Loretta Chase
to be followed quickly by :
Christine Wells
Donna MacMeans
Laura Kinsale
Charlotte Bronte
Stephen King
What book did I fake reading? None that I can think of, although there are some I WISH I had faked.
100 Years of Solitude comes to mind.
As does Madame Bovary in the original French and Anna Karenina in the original Russian. Hated both of those women before I finished.
What book did I buy for the cover? None really, although I have picked up and read the back of MANY books for the cover!
Favorite line from a book?
The day I died started out bad and got worse in a hurry.
From - Undead and Unwed by Mary Janice Davidson
and from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
"I have nothing to fear. And here my story ends. My troubles are all over. And I am at home."
Which book would I like to read again for the first time?
Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale
and
Claiming the Courtesan by Anna Campbell.
I am off to find Demetrius for my sled ride or is it off to find my sled for my Demetrius ride???
Woohoo! Congrats, Christine AND Louisa AND also KJ!!! :-)
Cheryl
I've lost control of the blog!!! LOLOL!!!
Louisa, official congratulations!!! What wonderful news!! And so funny that you freaked all over Madeline! I'm sure she enjoyed it,especially the scream! LOL
WOOOHOOOO KJ, Madame, Louisa...have I missed anybody? ANTHEA! WOOHOOO! The house is rockin today Kate--of course you HAD to post about this. I don't have a pony in the race this year, as I had nothing new in shape at all, and can I say, for the first time in a few years now, that I'm GLAD! I can be thrilled for my buddies and not be nervous or disappointed that the luck of the draw wasn't there for me.
Lessee...the quiz. I'll miss some of these.
What's on my nightstand? An ARC of Lisa Gardner's summer book, The Neighbor. Yes, that's me, gloating. Madelyn Alt's Bewitching Mystery series. I'm re-reading.
Fav book when I was a child? Horton Hears a Who. Still my favorite.
Top Five Authors? Impossible. Only possible to throw darts and pick my top five authors TODAY. Lessee...Anna Campbell, Madelyn Alt, Suz Brockman, Susan Crandall, Jenny Crusie.
Fake Reading? I dunno that I've done that--except in college I did do the Cliff's notes for a few. Lame, I know. I wish I'd faked...that book set in Hollywood I think...famousliterary writer...dang...I'm drawing a blank. Morose. Dull. Deadly Dull. Lots of cocktails. That's all I remember.
Buy For The Cover? I've bought a couple of categories for the cover over the years, but it's been a long time and I can't remember their names. I WOULD, though, buy--Sherrilyn Kenyon's--a couple of the dark hunters--for the covers. Just to stare at those men. Anna Campbell's Tempt The Devil for the same reason. For that look on his face.
What Book Changed Your Life? The first one I read, or that my mom read to me. I can't remember it but I know I've never been the same.
Favorite Lines from books? Oh, man..there are a lot. I'm a real sucker for opening hooks. "How Much Do You Cost?" That's from(I think) Wedding At White Sands by Cathy Mann. I know it's Cathy Mann, just not sure it's the right title. Oh, and one of the best opening hooks EVER: "The Marley Brothers were dead, to begin with." What a hook. WHAT a hook!
Book You'd Want To Read again For The first time? Great question Kate. I think, today, it's Ain't She Sweet by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.
What book is on your nightstand now? Promises in Death by J.D. Robb
What was your favorite book when you were a child? There wasn't just one favorite book.
Who are your top five authors? Nora Roberts/J.D: Robb, David & Leigh Eddings, Agatha Christie, Stephanie Laurens, Sharon Sala.
What book did you fake reading?
There has been no such book.
What book did you buy for the cover? I always read the blurb before I buy anything.
What book changed your life? Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie. It was the first book (besides the comic books) I read from cover to cover in English.
Favorite line(s) from a book: Can't remember any...
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? There are too many to name.
Hi Amy! Sorry to stress you out, LOL! I hope your phone rings and even if it doesn't, we love your medicals and hope we'll see you in DC!!
Nightstand: THen Comes Seduction by Mary Balogh
Favorite authors: Lynn Autin, Karen KIngsbury,Kathy Herman and Catherine Anderson
Fake: all the classics in college (I was an English major)
I don't buy based on cover but on recs then buy online.
Peggy, I should've said Charlotte's Web, too. I loved that book so much.
I might have to do an addendum like Treethyme did and add Charlotte's Web and also The Secret Garden, my absolute all-time favorite book when I was young!!
Thank you all for the Congrats! I am still on Cloud 9 or maybe 19 !!
And I LOVED The Secret Garden when I was a kid. Still do.
Book that changed my life?
Pride and Prejudice AND The Quiet Gentleman (Heyer)
Kate, you said "I've lost control of the blog!!! LOLOL!!!"
Does anyone EVER really have control here? ;-)LOL
Cheryl/Cheri
Kate, wow! Way to leave a witch speechless! So excited that you're reading Blood Magic!
What book is on your nightstand now? Gena Showalter's THE VAMPIRE'BRIDE
What was your favorite book when you were a child? BIG RED
Who are your top five authors? That is top secret information I reveal only to witches who have taken the sacred oath...which by the way...involves plying me with appletinis.
What book did you fake reading? HAMLET...don't judge me, I was 14!
What book did you buy for the cover? I ALMOST bought a book for it's awesome cover...a romantic beach scene, I was half way up to the cashier when I realized there were TWO guys the front. Not exactly the romance I was looking for.
What book changed your life? How To Make The Perfect Appletini...okay, I made that up.
Favorite line(s) from a book: Just pulling one from my appletini soaked memory. I'm not sure of the exact line, but it was from Susan Elizabeth Phillips NOBODY'S BABY BUT MINE. It went something like, "You're a cereal killer!"
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? OUTLANDER, I think. Maybe. I dunno...so many books I've loved!
Yay! So much to celebrate! Congrats to KJ (twice!) Louisa and Christine! And to Anthea - so glad you dropped by and shared your news :-)
I can't wait to cheer you all on in DC!!
What book is on your nightstand now? The Second Virginity of Suzy Green
What was your favorite book when you were a child? The Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Who are your top five authors? This is a tough one! Nora Roberts, Suzanne Brockmann, Virgnia Kantra, Meg Cabot and Janet Evanovich.
I can't remember faking a read or buying a book based solely on its cover.
What book changed your life? Probably Johanna Lindsey's The Magic of You. It was after reading that book that I decided I wanted to be a romance writer *g*
Favorite line(s) from a book: Oh, way too many to mention - or remember *g*
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? Welcome to Temptation or The Unsung Hero
WOOHOOOO!!! Congrats EVERYONE!! I'm thrilled for KJ, Louisa, Christine, and Anthea! WOW!! And so many of our guests - Elizabeth Hoyt, Roxanne St. Claire, Lorraine Heath...WOW! ROCK ON, Ladies! (And Lawson!)
Now to the distract-yourself-from-the-phone-NOT-ringing-quiz...
What book is on your nightstand now? The Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox and Refuse to Choose by Barbara Sher
What was your favorite book when you were a child? I'm with Jennifer on Big Red in a three way tie with Silver Chief, Dog of the North and Anne of Green Gables
Who are your top five authors? Besides the Banditas? :> Mercedes Lackey, Anne McCaffrey, David Eddings, Nora Roberts, Patricia Briggs and...wait, do I HAVE to stop at five?
What book did you fake reading? The Lovely Bones - Waaaaay tooo depressing...
What book did you buy for the cover? Hmm, not sure I've done it, though I've been tempted a LOT...
What book changed your life? Wow, so many...but Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins had the longest lasting impact, I think
Favorite line(s) from a book: "The lightning rod salesman arrived, just before the storm..." Ray Bradbuy, Something Wicked This Way Comes
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? Just to have the joy of beginning it again? The first book in the Belgariad Series, by David Eddings, I think. :>
Wow, on Prince of Tides, Kate. That book haunts me to this day.
Again, HUGE CONGRATS to everyone!
Louisa -- Congratulations on the GH nomination! I was looking for the wrong name at first.
Pillars of the Earth.
Any Trixie Beldon.
Stephen King, Taylor Caldwell, Julie Garwood, James Michener, and Kathleen Woodiwiss.
Moby Dick (I read 1,000 years of solitude and it felt like 1,000 days of torture lol).
No books just for the cover.
The New Earth by Eckert Tolle.
Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.
Clan of the Cave Bear
I am junping up and down over here in OZ huge congratulaions Christine Kim and Louisa and all the other nominees to me you are all winners.
WAY TO GO LADIES
Have Fun
Helen
I don't know all the Banditas so I'm not going to just mention a couple, because I know a bunch of you were in the finals today. So here's a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to the finalists and a big hug for those who didn't.
I'll be in DC to cheer you on. Can't stay and visit, but wanted to say hello, congrats and I'm thinking about all of you.
"CONGRATULATIONS," TO KJ, Christine,
Louisa, Anthea, and all the Bandita
guests who received their RITA or
Golden Heart calls today!! I'm so
excited just knowing you all have
been honored today! "Good Luck" at
RWA this summer!!!
What book is on your nightstand now? Riders of the Storm by Julie E. Czerneda and Grass Beyond the Mountains by Richmond P. Hobson
What was your favorite book when you were a child? Hilary Knight's Cinderella...also, the Booky and Margaret trilogies by Bernice Thurman Hunter...and The Adventurous Four and the Secret Seven series by Enid Blyton
Who are your top five authors? Gosh...uh...Dick Francis, Julie E. Czerneda, Lois McMaster Bujold, Charlaine Harris, Rex Stout...and five shmive!...Marion Zimmer Bradley...
What book did you fake reading? It was either The Old Man And The Sea or For Whom The Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway. I forget which. I'd picked it for an assignment and then realised I couldn't stand his writing style and didn't read much of it(maybe the first few pages and the synopsis on the back). I got a really good mark on my book report though. :D
What book did you buy for the cover? Not SOLELY for the cover but mostly...The Court of the Air by Stephen Hunt. Sooooo pretty! Heavy textured paper, little gold stars, simple design and colour scheme...*SIGH* :)
What book changed your life? Erm, I'm not quite sure. Maybe To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I picked that up as a kid when an older boy I knew had to read it for school but decided to forgo reading that evening for a game of pickup basketball. I read 1/2 of his copy that evening and went to the library the next day for the other 1/2.
Favourite line(s) from a book: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife” ~ Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? Huh. I don't know.
Gosh, the blog has exploded!
Firstly, a huge congratulations to Christine for her Dangerous Duke finalling in the Best Regency category of the RITA. And a huge congratulations to Bandita Kim Howe who finalled in the Golden Heart in best Romantic Elements and best category suspense. And a huge congratulations to Bandita Buddy Louisa Cornell who under her REAL name finalled in the GH's best Regency section. And to regular contributor Vanessa Barneveld, Authorness, who finalled in the Young Adult Category. And to 2006 Golden Heart finalists, Packers forever, Anthea and Lawson and Elizabeth Hoyt.
Phew, and to regular Bandita visitors like Lorraine Heath and Eloisa James. It was great to see so many of our guests turn up on the list!
Hugs to the people who missed out. I think you're all winners!
Hey, guys, thanks so much for including me on your lists of best authors. Honestly, I'm SOOOO touched. It's been an emotional morning with all the wonderful announcements! Anyway, thanks, JT, Cassondra, Helen and Louisa. By the way, Louisa, The Wayward Widow was my first Cornick and I've been hooked on her stuff ever since!
This has been such a fun day in the lair, Kate!
What book is on your nightstand now? The Emancipator’s Wife
What was your favorite book when you were a child? The Stolen Pony
Who are your top five authors? Teresa Medeiros, Sherrilyn Kenyon, J.K. Rowling, Lisa Kleypas, Leslie Langtry
What book did you fake reading? Gosh, there are so many. Pride & Prejudice. Totally skimmed to do the report.
What book did you buy for the cover? Couldn’t tell you the title; couldn’t tell you the story (it didn’t impress me)—can tell you it had a bare-chested man in a kilt though. Always my downfall.
What book changed your life? Harry Potter series
Favorite line(s) from a book: Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love. “They’ve got mosquitoes around here big enough to rape a chicken!” Everyone, Richard from Texas has entered the room.
Totally killed me.
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? Harry Potter. (And not know any of the spoilers as I did so. *LOL*)
First, MAJOR congrats to all the finalists!!! I'll be in DC rooting for all of you!
To Kate's questions...
On my nightstand, BLOOD MAGIC
Fave book as a kid, Anne of Green Gables
Top 5 authors, Nora Roberts, JD Robb, Jennifer Lyon, Kate Carlisle and Susan Mallery
What book did I fake read? RED BADGE OF COURAGE. (Dear God!!)
What book did I buy for the cover? LOL.. my own BEDEVILED. God what a great cover.
What book changed my life? THE WOLF AND THE DOVE it introduced me to romances.
Favorite line from a book? 'Summer, that vicious green bitch, clenched her sweaty fist and flattened Innnocence Mississippi'.. from Nora's CARNAL INNOCENCE
the book to read over for the first time? CARNAL INNOCENCE
Again, congrats, Banditas!
I have been thinking about this question all day.
What book changed your life?
I have had books entertain and enrich my life, but change it?
I guess the Bible would be my answer. It's hard for me to think of the Bible as a mere book. It just seems like so much MORE.
Congrats to the new RITA/Golden Heart nominees announced. Banditas, if you are not nominated this year, please remember that all of us here consider you to be WINNERS. :-)
Cheryl/Cheri
OMG Christine!!! That's wonderful. So, so happy for you!And congrats to KJ and Louisa too.
And some great news for medicals as well with our own Lilian Darcy finalling with a medical!!! I think this is the first time a medical has finalled. We are mucho, mucho excited!
Congratulations to Christine for her RITA nomination!!!! We're so excited for you and The Dangerous Duke!!!
And also double congrats to Kim Howe for her TWO....counte 'em....TWO Golden Heart nominations!!!!
We're gonna be partying in D.C. for sure!!
Whoops, I missed Louisa....Girl, you and those regencies really need to get published!! Congrats on the GH nomination!!
I've had some time to think about the
quiz and here's a few answers:
On nightstand: Lords of Desire Anthology, courtesy Victoria Dahl
Fave childhood book: Secret Garden
Top authors: Anna Campbell, Eloisa James, Julia Quinn, Loretta Chase, Susan E. Phillips, Laura Lee
Guhrke, Lisa Kleypas, Stephanie
Laurens.
Cover buy: None really, though
Tempt The Devil came close, LOL
Changed life: I'd really have to say that every book I read changes
my life! How could it not?
Pat Cochran
Hi Fedora! Wow, the Brothers Karamazov. LOL. Not sure I even faked not reading that one. Ooh, but I loved Beverly Cleary. I'm getting all sorts of flashbacks from the books being mentioned here today! I want to go back and read so many of them again!
Anna, I didn't read your review at RNTV! I'm going to go read ASAP.
Amy, LOL on P&P! But the BBC series was fun. :-)
Hi Cheryl - great line from Cold Mountain!
What book is on your nightstand now?
Jacquie D'Alessandro's Seduced at Midnight
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
Donna Parker Mysteries
Who are your top five authors?
Nora Roberts, Mary Balogh, Janet Evanovich, Stephanie Laurens, Hannah Howell
What book did you fake reading?
Lord of the Flies
What book did you buy for the cover?
I have never done that, at least not yet.
What book changed your life?
I can't remember, but it was the first book I read by myself besides the Little Golden Books.
Favorite line(s) from a book:
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
What book would you most want to read again for the first time?
Little Women
Hi Pink Peony! I so love Auntie Mame! I've got it on DVD and force friends to watch it at every opportunity. :-) And I love that quote. I have a friend who's always muttering that to me! Makes me smile every time.
And I'm a big fan of SEP and It Had To Be You. I re-read it just last month. Love it!!
Hi Suz! I Love suck ups!!!! LOL! I hope you continue to enjoy the book! :-)
You know I love Julie G. I have the biggest urge to go read Saving Grace now!
Just wanted to say thank you so much to all of you for your congratulations. I'm still pinching myself!
Vanessa, Louisa, Anthea, Elizabeth Hoyt (yeah, she was a packer!), all our lovely former guests--Eloisa James, Jo Bourne, Sherrry Thomas, Lorraine Heath, Jane Graves, Nalini Singh and Aussies Barb Hannay, Lilian Darcy and Stephanie Laurens, YAY!!!
Okay, went back and read all the posts and apparently Jane Austen's Pride and Predjudice beginning hit a lot of us as classic.
I also checked my auto buy list, these are my favorite authors, they have a book come out, I buy it, no questions asked. Including the beloved Banditas I now have a total of 85 favorite authors, and you ask me to choose 5??? What were you thinking?
Hi Helen, great answers! All those Bandits are my faves, too! :-)
And thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed the book!
Congrats again, Christine! We're so proud of you! Hope you were finally able to get some sleep!
Love the Scarlet Pimpernel!!
Hey Anna, your hockey hunks will find love someday soon, I know it!! They are too HOT not to!!
And ooh, you've named some of my favorites, too. Esp. Susan Mallery and Kathleen Kane! I loved KK's Western paranormal about the angel who lost her halo. So cute!!!
HOOOORAY to Christine!!! Don't pinch yourself too hard.
'Bare-bottom Barbie'!!! LOL Caren!!! OMG, that is a classic! Yeah, all her openers are brilliant.
It really is hard to only name five faves. I love Elizabeth Peters, too. :-)
PJ, it's taken me all day to say good morning to you!! LOL
If HOT's the book that got you started doing reviews, then I'm very grateful. You really are a brilliant reviewer!
And there's SAVING GRACE again. I think that's a sign I need to go back and read it again. :-)
Hey, Pat, thanks for including me in your list. Yeah, Nathan got a lot of purchases for me with that glint in his eye ;-)
Still so excited about all the great news in the lair. Hey, did you guys know our Tawny finalled in the Colorado Award of Excellence with Risque Business? Yay, Tawny!
Hi Gillian! Hope you had a good time at the day job!
Hey Laurie, I'm a Jill Shalvis fan, too! Oh, and Linda Howard should be on my faves list. She's fabulous! I love going back to read SON OF THE MORNING and DREAM MAN every year. KILL AND TELL, too. Love her!
Hi Crystal! Elizabeth Hoyt's really great, isn't she? She's another of the 2006 GH alumni who's up for a RITA this year, along with Althea and Lawson and Christine Wells. We're so proud of our peeps! :-)
Hi Joanie!!! LOL on the Cliff Notes! And I feel the exact same way about Nora's Irish books. I've got Tears of the Sun waiting on my nightstand to re-read after I finish Jennifer's book.
Anna, Tawny's RISQUE BUSINESS is one of the best books I read all year, and I'm not just saying that because she's a Bandita! It was amazing and she's so talented! I hope everyone had a chance to read it. :-)
Wow, what an enormous response. Congrats to the finalists of the 2009 RITA!!!
Now for the quiz:
What book is on your nightstand now? Anna Campbell's Tempt the Devil & Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days
What was your favorite book when you were a child? Robin Hood & His Merry Men (it was my mother's book when she was little as well)
Who are your top five authors? Julia Quinn, Lisa Kleypas, Christine Wells, Donna MacMeans, Anna Campbell
What book did you fake reading? Actually, a few of Julia Quinn's - I'm a slow reader and haven't got around to all of them yet!
What book did you buy for the cover? Don't really know if I can name them all - sometimes I go by the title rather than the cover art.
What book changed your life? Chris by Sally Wentworth (it was the book that made me want to write romance)
Favorite line(s) from a book: It is a truth universally acknowldged...
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? All of them!!!
Hi Maureen, thanks for playing! LOL. I'm really loving this game and seeing all the books and authors I've missed.
Hey Smoov! I haven't read VF but it sounds like you're getting alot out of his books. Hope so! And I know what you mean about JC. I feel that way about SEP. I wanna be her when I grow up. Such smart writing and the most brilliantly funny dialogue. I just love her!
Jeez, Terrio, you coulda warned me!! I googled Carter's Cuffs and **YOIKS!!** LOL
Hi Lois! Yes, Stephen Hawking's book was awesome. Good choice! And Albert Einstein is my DH's fave. :-)
LOL Treethyme, on Holden Caulfield's dog essay! Good for you! And interesting story about Salinger naming him. Wonder if it's true...?
Hi Jo! I'm laughing at your 100 Yrs of Solitude karma!! Hee hee!
I hope you love Jen's book! It's a fantastic love story with a gritty, urban feel to it, reminiscent of JR Ward. But Jen's created a completely new and interesting world with her witches and wing-slayer hunters. I'm so impressed. And I'm almost finished!! Can't wait to go home and curl up with it.
Congratulations to all the nominees! I can't imagine the nerves of waiting to find out - or those experienced after the call.
What book is on your nightstand now? Nora's Soul by Margay Leah Justice
What was your favorite book when you were a child? Any of the Berenstein Bears books.
Who are your top five authors? Jane Austen, Gena Showalter, James Rollins, Jill Shalvis, and L.M. Montgomery
What book did you fake reading? Moll Flanders by Daniel Dafoe - but only because I ran out of time to read it before the class discussion on it. I do plan to read it.
What book did you buy for the cover? I've never bought anything solely based on the cover.
What book changed your life? Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Favorite line(s) from a book: The opening line from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. It makes me laugh every time:
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? Gena Showalter's The Darkest Night or The Black Order by James Rollins
Kate, I'm a huge Linda Howard fan. The range she achieves is amazing. Have you read Cry No More? Whaaaah! What an emotional journey that one covers. And I agree about Tawny being awesome!
Actually all you Marquez fakers out there, I'm with you. I tried to read 100 Years of Solitude. Goodness knows why - I'd read Love in the Time of Cholera and hated it!
Kirralee, what excellent taste you have ;-) Thank you!
What book is on your nightstand now? Wicked Intentions by Lydia Joyce
What was your favorite book when you were a child? The Lion, the Witch and the wardrobe by C. S. Lewis.
Who are your top five authors? Anne Stuart, Judith McNaught, Brenda Joyce, Samantha James & Jill Shalvis.
What book did you fake reading? None.
What book did you buy for the cover? If Angels Burn by Lynn Viehl and A Thousand Bones by P.J. Parrish
What book changed your life? Can't think of any.
Favorite line(s) from a book: "Ainsley Hall had twenty-seven bedroom, a ballroom, six withdrawing rooms of various sizes and formalities, four dining halls, three offices, twelve powder rooms with indoor amenities, and the kitchens. In one of those twenty-seven bedrooms lay the man she had vowed to kill." From A Rose at Midnight by Anne Stuart
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? All the ones on my keepers shelf.
For all of the nominees
http://hrdwrkdmom.com/Banditas/Congrats/Congrats.html
Dianna!
How cool !! Check out Dianna's congrats, y'all !
Awesome!
Congratulations to Christine and kj! Two of them KJ? :-)
What book is on your nightstand now? It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas
What was your favorite book when you were a child? Had to be a Snoopy or Charlie Brown book. lol
Who are your top five authors? Judith McNaught, Janelle Denison, Elizabeth Lowell, Julie Garwood and Sandra Steffen
What book did you fake reading? Not sure I ever did that. Can't think of any.
What book did you buy for the cover? I've never really bought a book just for the cover. It might have influenced me some, though.
What book changed your life? Helter Skelter - I read it when I was a teenager and it made me completely dislike any type of scary stories
Favorite line(s) from a book: I'm thinking, too.
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? Whitney My Love
Limecello, congratulations!
Congratulations, too, to everyone who got a magic phone call today, especially KJ and Christine. I hope great things come of all those calls.
Kate, on my nightstand right now--Bring It On by Laura Anne Gilman, because I'm teaching it this week.
Top 5 authors--can't narrow them down to five. Will pick, at random, Harper Lee, J.R.R. Tolkien, Dorothy L. Sayers, Georgette Heyer, and Jerome K. Jerome.
Book bought just for the cover--not exactly, but I did pick it up because of the cover, A Man to Slay Dragons by Meagan McKinney. It has a beautiful foil dragon on the cover of the edition I first read.
Book that changed your life: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, my all-time ever favorite book, which was adapted into my all-time ever favorite movie.
Favorite line: the one from The Return of the King that describes the coming of the Rohirrim to relieve the siege at Minas Tirath.
Book you'd want to read again for the first time: The Lord of the Rings because it was so magnificent and sweeping and majestic and moving, all at the same time (if paced a bit slowly).
Congrats again to everyone celebrating tonight!
WOW, Dianna, that's gorgeous! Thanks for the congrats everyone!
What book is on your nightstand now? Maverick by Lora Leigh
What was your favorite book when you were a child? The Outsiders
Who are your top five authors? Lora Leigh, Maya Banks, Jaci Burton, Shiloh Walker, and Lorelei James
What book did you fake reading? can't remember any
Favorite line(s) from a book: The first line in The Outsiders, When I stpped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home.
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? Tempting the Beast by Lora Leigh
KJ and Christine, Congratulations!! I am so pleased and not a bit surprised! :)
The Quiz:
Nightstand: A Lady Flees Her Lord, Michele Ann Young.
Fav book as child? The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White. Romance for children who don't know it's romance.
Top Five Authors? How about my desert island three? Laurie R King, Mary Balogh, Elizabeth Peters.
Fake reading? Nah....I just faked gym class. :)
Book for cover? Most cozy mysteries. Love those covers!
Book changed your life? A Gallant Waif, Anne Gracie. It was a Rita finalist, too. Utterly romantic.
Favorite line: With the right person, under the right circumstances--it is perfectly splendid! (E. Peters, Crocodile on the Sandbank)
Read again book? Beekeeper's Apprentice
Again, huge congratulations to everyone who finaled!
Hey everyone, the day job kicked my behind today!! Sorry I wasn't here to answer everyone personally but I'm home now and reading all the fabulous answers!
Diana, thanks for stopping by! See you in DC!!
Hi Jen!! Your book is a big hit! I'm determined to finish tonight because I can't stand not knowing!!!
Aww, Maureen, you're on my list, too!! And that line from Carnal Innocence is classic Nora, isn't it? :-)
To Kill a Mockingbird is another life-changing book I forgot! Thanks for mentioning it, Pissenlit and Nancy.
Oh, Dianna!! What a fabulous congrats page!!
Congratulations to all the finalists!! Hope you're all savoring the excitement! We'll celebrate like crazy in DC!!
BIG HUGE congrats to Christine and Kim!!!! I'm so rooting for you both in DC!!
Love the quiz. Here are my answers:
What book is on your nightstand now? Larissa Ione's PLEASURE UNLEASHED
What was your favorite book when you were a child? ANNE OF GREEN GABLES
Who are your top five authors? Judith McNaught, Nora Roberts, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Joan Swan (she's my CP...who just finaled in the GH too. She's not published YET, but she's still one of my fav. authors), Gaelen Foley
What book did you fake reading? Our Town (gasp!)
What book did you buy for the cover? Match Me If You Can (My all time fav SEP book)
What book changed your life? Ack! I can't think of just one!!!
Favorite line(s) from a book: I don't remember the lines exactly...but there's a scene that sticks out in my mind. In Nora's ANGELS FALL, the hero's cleaning up his house because the heroine's coming over for dinner. He's hauling dirty dishes out of the sink, wondering why the hell he puts them there in the first place. I don't know why, but that scene has stuck with me for years. (I can so relate.)
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? Perfect, by Judith McNaught
Fun quiz!
Just a quick note to say, OUR TOWN and THE LOVELY BONES? Totally worth the read. Loved them both.
Thornton Wilder is amazing, loved his THEOPHILUS NORTH as much or more than OUR TOWN. Did not, however, like Anne Sebold's more recent book, The Almost Moon.
Congrats again to today's lucky (and amazingly talented) finalists!
Marie, A Rose at Midnight is one of my top five romances EVER. Great choice! Hardly anyone I know has read it - unless I've lent it to them and made them read it, that is!
Dianna, what a gorgeous congratulations page. THANK YOU!!!
http://hrdwrkdmom.com/Banditas/Congrats/Congrats.html
Love these questions!
What book is on your nightstand now? ***Mary Balogh's THEN COMES MARRIAGE
What was your favorite book when you were a child? ***LITTLE WOMAN
Who are your top five authors? ***(This is impossible to answer, I'm going by my recent reads because I have so many) Sharon Page, Jaquie Rogers, Cynthia Eden, Jillian Hunter, Marly Mathews
What book did you fake reading?
***So many Shakespeare books! I have a hard time with those then in HS.
What book did you buy for the cover? ***I do this often with re-releases of my favorites, LOL.
What book changed your life?
***Victoria Holt. I loved her Gothic romances. That started me to read every book by favorite authors.
Favorite line(s) from a book:
***I don't remember these but I loved many that I read of Jane Austin's
What book would you most want to read again for the first time?
**ANNIE'S SONG by Catherine Anderson. Its one that made me cry so much (I'm deaf myself, so I could feel so much with the heroine!) I'd love to read again in that too I could maybe cry less?
I was thinking of a question that kind of some answered:
What book/author haven't you read yet that others speak of often?
***Jude Deveraux's KNIGHT IN A SHINING ARMOR!
Plus I have never read Laura Kinsale, Liz Carlyle, so I'm making a goal to read these 3 soon! (Very)
Congrats to the finalists!!!
What book is on your nightstand now?
Twilight and and Dark Victory by Brenda Joyce
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
Misty of Chincoteague and Black Beauty. I loved horse stories!
Who are your top five authors? Georgette Heyer, Linda Howard, Suzanne Brockmann, Christine Feehan, and Jayne Ann Krentz (in all of her genres and names) - those are the authors that I've read their entire body of work, and wait eagerly for their next book. Looks like Anna Campbell is joining that list.
What book did you fake reading? None, even ones I didn't like for HS, I muddled through.
What book did you buy for the cover? Hmmm... I can't think of any offhand.
What book changed your life?
Jane Eyre - my first romance.
Favorite line(s) from a book:
"I sometimes have a queer feeling with regard to you--especially when you are near me, as now: it is as if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly and inextricably knotted to a similar string situated in the corresponding quarter of your little frame. And if that boisterous channel, and two hundred miles or so of land come broad between us, I am afraid that cord of communion will be snapt; and then I've a nervous notion I should take to bleeding inwardly."
from Jane Eyre
What book would you most want to read again for the first time? Kresley Cole's A Hunger Like No Other, Georgette Heyer's Devil's Cub, or Anna Campbell's Claiming the Courtesan. It would be fun to read Jane Eyre again too from a fresh prospective - I've read it so many times.
Gillian, I forgot about Elizabeth Peters. Don't know how though. I love Amelia Peabody! Love her Barbara Michaels books too!
It's so hard to narrow it down to just five!
Caffey, you will never regret starting on Liz Carlyle. She is a marvel!!
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