Jess Michaels 2019 Reading Challenge discussion

Stop by here to talk general blather about books or other stuff.

Well I'll start with my ebook because I AM VERY HAPPY. Remember it's not in English but I'm so pleased to tell that it's #76 in Amazon Kindle shop (#23 in Romance Kindle shop). So happy about that.

Congrats Fabiola. Awesome name btw

Demetra wrote: "next on my list to get is Vivian story sooo looking forward to it. cant wait YAY"

Aw, thanks Demetra! :) I hope you'll enjoy it!!

Michelle wrote: "Congrats Fabiola. Awesome name btw"

Thanks :) It's my real one.

I'm trying to plan out a reading list for 2014 and would appreciate some suggestions. If you could only recommend one favorite book that you read this year, what would it be?

What genre do you read Milli?

Millie wrote: "I'm trying to plan out a reading list for 2014 and would appreciate some suggestions. If you could only recommend one favorite book that you read this year, what would it be?"

I married the Duke by Katharine Ashe (but there are much more I would recommend :) )

Millie wrote: "I'm trying to plan out a reading list for 2014 and would appreciate some suggestions. If you could only recommend one favorite book that you read this year, what would it be?"Do you care what genre?

I really enjoy historical romance, erotic historical and romantic mystery the best but I also enjoy non-fiction as well.

If you haven't read it. Julie Anne Longs pennyroyal green series is awesome and so is Jillian hunters bocastle series.

Fabiola wrote: "Millie wrote: "I'm trying to plan out a reading list for 2014 and would appreciate some suggestions. If you could only recommend one favorite book that you read this year, what would it be?"

I ma..."

Where the Four Winds Collide by Hildie McQueen and my two all time fav books "Paradise" and "Perfect" by Judith McNaught (read in order)

Lori wrote: "Fabiola wrote: "Millie wrote: "I'm trying to plan out a reading list for 2014 and would appreciate some suggestions. If you could only recommend one favorite book that you read this year, what wou..."

I loved J. McNaughts A Kingdom of Dreams...what era was Paradise and Perfect written?

Michelle wrote: "Lori wrote: "Fabiola wrote: "Millie wrote: "I'm trying to plan out a reading list for 2014 and would appreciate some suggestions. If you could only recommend one favorite book that you read this y..."

Contemporary

Millie, if you haven't read Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series I really recommend it. I also enjoy Joanna Bourne for historical romance.

I'm trying to find some more stand alone books, I feel like all I read is series and would like to have some awesome stand alone books to read in 2014.

Millie wrote: "I'm trying to plan out a reading list for 2014 and would appreciate some suggestions. If you could only recommend one favorite book that you read this year, what would it be?"

I can highly recommend The Beloved Daughter by Alana Terry. Its about one woman's life as a Korean refugee and her struggles. Only a little romance but don't let that scare you. It was her debut novel and it was fantastic. Suspenseful and an edge of your seat novel. Kleenex needed but not required. :)

I only have one book that this group might be interested in which is called The King

But I'll warn you up front it's a novella that's more of a tragedy than it is a romance, and it has more than a few Thriller type moments...

Laura wrote: "I'm trying to find some more stand alone books, I feel like all I read is series and would like to have some awesome stand alone books to read in 2014."

I scrolled through my booklist to see if I could help you out and realized, hey all I seem to read is series too! But a lot of series serves as a stand alone. Any way, the only thing I have read recently that would be considered stand alone is Comfort Food by Kitty Thomas. Warning: book is about kidnapping and has a lot of darkness to it. It was my first dark erotica and I the entire time I read it I thought, why am I reading this and why do I like it so much?

Rick wrote: "I only have one book that this group might be interested in which is called The King

But I'll warn you up front it's a novella that's more of a tragedy than it is a ro..."

Please don't forget this isn't a promo group for authors. It's in the rules you have to look at when you post.

I saw another author throw in a plug for their book, so I thought it was ok in this discussion line, but if you don't want it, it'll be my last plug, I can follow rules... Which I really shouldn't admit in an erotic romance group lol

Thanks Michelle!!! I will definitely look into Comfort Food I like dark romances so that is right up my alley! Thank you for the suggestion.

January is going to be a busy reading month for me. I'm going to be doing readings for 2 groups this month, so I have to juggle those books. I'm planning on reading Outlander this month so I'm looking forward to that read since I've heard so many good things about the series.

Millie wrote: "I really enjoy historical romance, erotic historical and romantic mystery the best but I also enjoy non-fiction as well."

I read a lot of great books this past year, but I really loved Highlander Most Wanted by Maya Banks. I'd also recommend the Fool's Gold series by Susan Mallery and Jess Michaels' Pleasure Wars series. If you want something outside of romance - one of the best mystery books I read this past year was Second Watch by JA Jance. I was in tears at the end. Her Beaumont series is great!

Message to Jess: you said in your newsletter that you planned a lot of travels... Is France one of your destination?

Sadly no, but we're thinking about taking a trip to Paris to see the finish of Tour de France in 2015, so I'll keep you apprised!

Pity! I'll wait for more infos about 2015. :-)

Just count how many books I have read exactly in 2013: 92 of which 62 on ebook format. That's a lot.

@ jess just asking the books that we see on currently for the group is for you???

People are just adding books they're reading I think to the "shelf" for the challenge. Everyone is welcome to do so, but they aren't any official challenges to read a specific book at the same time.

oh ok. just checking.

I think I'm out of my league in this group! I like reading but I'm only on my 2nd book of 2014 and have have no doubt I'll only read of fraction of the number of books the rest of you will.

Raegan wrote: "I think I'm out of my league in this group! I like reading but I'm only on my 2nd book of 2014 and have have no doubt I'll only read of fraction of the number of books the rest of you will."

Hey now I'm only on #4 and probably won't finish more than 40 books, so don't be intimidated by the numbers you see. It's not quantity, it's about quality, it's about enjoying what you're reading, and most Importantly it's about sharing. So don't run away, sit back, read at your own pace, and let everyone else go tearing through books, so they can give you good ideas for what to read next.

Raegan wrote: "I think I'm out of my league in this group! I like reading but I'm only on my 2nd book of 2014 and have have no doubt I'll only read of fraction of the number of books the rest of you will."

Oh, please don't feel that way. It's not a race or a contest. What we all have in common is a love of books. Some people are really fast readers. Some people like short books or really long ones. Some people have all the time in the world to read or have a schedule that only allows a little time to enjoy a book. The main thing is that a book challenge lets you set you own goal and then be reminded to work at it because making time to read is good for the mind, the heart and the soul.

Yes, what Millie said!!

I watched the new Flowers in the attic last night and while I thought it was better than the first version, still nothing compared to the book.

Pamela Clare just arrived in France yesterday and I'm going to meet her saturday. Happy! :)

Oh cool! Is she doing a signing?

Yes but unfortunately, J'ai Lu, her Publisher doesn't know very well how to welcome its foreign romance authors... I with another blogger had to organize everything for saturday.
So, Jess, I must say, if you come here next year and want to meet some readers, better talk with Milady/Bragelonne (your zombies series publisher) than J'ai Lu (your historical romance publisher).

Unfortunately, I don't write the zombie books anymore, so I don't spend any time promoting them anymore. Next year will probably all be vacation, we'll have to see what our schedule looks like.

Well that's not a problem because the books are still available.

But if you only plan some holidays, that's great.

I was thinking about soul mates in paranormal romance recently.
I flipped through a book written by Laura Kaye and I was disappointed with the plot. In the novella, the hero vampire had a soul mate who died ages ago. So he doesn't want another one. Then arrives the heroine and just like that, he fells in love again et she is her new soul mate. I didn't like that because that means, just because a hero is immortal, he can have several soul mates. For me, it's not a HEA because what I like about a romance novel is that the two heroes are forever happy TOGETHER. How can that be when I know that if one of them will come to die, the other one will find a new soul mate? I prefer when the other is not able to fall in love again or must die if her/his soul mate dies. What about you here?

I hate it when authors change the titles of their books for no reason after they publish it... ack!

Who did that?

I'm sure they have their reasons Jess but it just confused me (and other readers, I'm sure) LOL

I actually blogged about it..

Sorry I've been so quiet! Between my release week and writing the book I'm working on, I haven't been able to read as much. I'm hoping to change that tonight! :)

Sheesh, I'm just having the struggle of a lifetime with the book I'm reading. I actually stopped last night and read another one just because I don't like the first one. It's a book for my bookclub, so I need to finish it, but man. When I hit a rash of meh books it's so easy for me to find something else to do.

Can anyone recommend something just AMAZING for me to write to get me out of this slump?

Last year I read Bronze Gods by A.A. Aguirre and The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley. The best books I read in 2013! I recently finished the second books in both series. Silver Mirrors (Aguirre) and The Firebird (Kearsley). Both wonderful, yet, very different books. Since I started writing reviews, I have gotten very stingy with 5-star ratings, but these books have all earned it!

Good luck finding the perfect book!

Jess, I don't understand your question (maybe I'm too tired lol). You want help to write YOUR book or something else?

I was very busy lately too because I was working on my next book. So, we are on the same wave-length here. Great, isn't it?

I'm trying to find a book to read. I'm not enjoying what I'm reading. I'm good with writing. LOL