Review: Off the Map

If you want a romance that’s well written, has depth, and also feels like you’re being wrapped in a warm hug, Trish Doller’s your gal. I’ve read her last three books and have absolutely adored them. ADORED. So much so that I read both The Suite Spot and Off the Map in one sitting. Off the Map is Doller’s latest, having been published in March, and it is a most perfect book to pick up if you need some proximity romance with a healthy dose of armchair travel.

Here’s the book’s description:

Carla Black’s life motto is “here for a good time, not for a long time.” She’s been travelling the world on her own in her vintage Jeep Wrangler for nearly a decade, stopping only long enough to replenish her adventure fund. She doesn’t do love and she doesn’t ever go home.
Eamon Sullivan is a modern-day cartographer who creates digital maps. His work helps people find their way, but he’s the one who’s lost his sense of direction. He’s unhappy at work, recently dumped, and his one big dream is stalled out—literally.
Fate throws them together when Carla arrives in Dublin for her best friend’s wedding and Eamon is tasked with picking her up from the airport. But what should be a simple drive across Ireland quickly becomes complicated with chemistry-filled detours, unexpected feelings, and a chance at love - if only they choose it.

I like the Doller’s romance novels aren’t all sunshine and rainbows. Don’t get me wrong, I will need some of that in my romances but she recognizes that life really isn’t all that sunny all the time. Her heroines (and usually heroes too) are dealing with a lot. In Carla’s case, she doesn’t have a steady career (she instead chooses to travel and cobbles work together when needed to pay for it) and her father has dementia. He can no longer travel so she’s doing it for the both of them but she’s also running away from her problems and real life. It’s because she’s running away that her current lifestyle is not sustainable and she has to do a lot of soul searching (without it being as airy fairy as that may sound) before she can come to terms with her life and what her next step needs to be. There is an absolutely heartbreaking moment in this book but the teeny silver lining is it allows Carla to make decisions solely for her while also, perhaps ironically, to create a potential future with Eamon.

This book is technically part of the Beck sisters series which started with Float Plan (review here) and carried on with The Suite Spot (review here). You don’t have to read those two before this one but I recommend it only because they’re both so amazing. I really enjoyed getting to see Anna and Keane again and seeing how their romance has carried on since Float Plan ended.

A bonus of this book is the armchair travel element as Carla and Eamon travel through Ireland on their way to Anna and Keane’s wedding. It was really fun being able to experience a part of the world I’ve never been to. I felt like I was right there with them as they were accidentally off-roading into a farmer’s field. (That is not something I need to experience whenever I do get to Ireland - just putting that out there.)

I loved both Carla and Eamon so I loved their romance. They were so good for each other and were able to balance each other as well. Eamon needed more adventure and spontaneity and Carla needed just a bit more of a plan and had to stop running from her problems. There were some steamy scenes and lots of really sweet ones, too. Theirs was a romance you couldn’t help but cheer for.

I loved Off the Map and am so glad I started reading Trish Doller’s books a few years ago. Her books are perfect for those who are looking for romances that are more than just a Happily Ever After. I highly recommend them!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: 24 Hours in Italy

Traveling the world through a book will never get old and I loved experiencing Italy while reading Romi Moondi’s latest book, 24 Hours in Italy. It picks up just about where 24 Hours in Paris left off (review here) and I really enjoyed getting back together with Mira and Jake and seeing if their romance could finally stick this time around.

Here’s the book’s description:

Two years have passed since Mira and Jake missed their flight and spent a magical 24 hours together in Paris. Sparks flew. Romance bloomed. But life got in the way. When they’re reunited for another whirlwind adventure, will they connect in the same way?
Mira’s living her best life, having started a new chapter by taking a leave from her high pressure corporate position to spend time in Italy. Surrounded by amazing scenery, fantastic food and wine, and endearing locals, her life is nearly perfect—except for the thoughts of what might've been with Jake.
While Jake’s career has never been better, the move to California has been less than perfect. Still, he’s got high hopes that seeing Mira at their friends’ destination wedding can right past wrongs. Except travel has never been his strong suit, and his reunion with Mira is punctuated by another, more recent heartbreak.
When the pair collide again on the gorgeous Amalfi coast, the spark they felt in Paris is reignited, but their quest for a happy ending will surely be as rocky as the Italian coastline.

I don’t know if it’s because I, like Mira, am an elder millennial, but Jake is a pretty great book boyfriend. *fans self* I’ll get into it more below but Mira was the one who destroyed their relationship so any less-than-ideal behaviour on Jake’s part while they were together in Italy was, in my opinion, totally justified. I really loved how much you could tell that he did care for her. He was also just trying to protect himself and you can’t blame the guy. On the flipside, you can also tell that Mira is just as head over heels for Jake as he is for her. Their relationship isn’t perfect but there’s an ease there than most couples can only dream of. The everyday experiences (though I’m not sure you could call their 24 hour escapades “everyday”) the pair have are just as magical and impactful as the Big Moments can be. Not to mention the sexual chemistry between the two! It’s impossible not to root for them (a double negative Mira would be proud of and Jake would be exasperated about) and that’s part of what makes this rom com so delightful.

All that said…I know it would have been difficult for Mira and Jake to have stayed together doing the long distance thing after just 24 hours together in Paris. But the way they fell apart? I couldn’t buy it. I can understand to a point that Mira was dealing with a lot but she was acting more like a mid-twentysomething than a mid-thirtysomething and I guess I just expected more from her. Which I admit is kind of ridiculous and unfair because, hello, I quit a job during a global pandemic to go back to school at the age of 34. But I had a plan. (And I’m happy to say it’s worked out remarkably well.) Maybe I just wanted her to figure out what she wanted and stop blaming outside forces because I knew she was smart and driven, just a bit…aimless. I wanted her to stop being scared and just freaking talk to Jake. He wasn’t blameless either - he could have tried a bit harder - but Mira was definitely the one blowing up the relationship and I wasn’t sure how they’d come back from that. (But don’t worry - this is a romance!)

The other thing that kind of nagged at me was the side story of Eloise and Dembe. They’re the reason Mira and Jake have been thrown together once more as the pair was having their second wedding on the Amalfi coast. There was some sort of drama there and I found it took away from the overall story. I like the couple, don’t get me wrong, but I didn’t need Eloise being an idiotic drama queen and not trusting her husband (to be) and worrying so much about the “perfect” day.

But boy was I glad Eloise and Dembe decided to have their second wedding along the coast - somewhere I’ve neve been and don’t know if I’ll ever get to. It really felt like Moondi knew the area and loved it. Experiencing the area alongside Jake and Mira was so lovely. And had me craving sunshine and everything lemon! I could perfectly picture everything and that’s a credit to Moondi’s talent and care for the country.

24 Hours in Italy is stronger than Romi Moondi’s last novel and I can’t wait to see her grow even more as an author. She writes rom coms that have an equal balance of romance and comedy with a heap of reality tossed in - nothing seems fake or manufactured just for the sake of the storyline, it’s so refreshing. Just as refreshing as traveling through Italy while reading. Check out this book if you’re in the mood to “see” Italy while rooting for a couple you can’t help but love.

*An egalley was provided by the publisher, Wattpad, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: 24 Hours in Paris

Full disclosure before we get rolling: I’ve known Romi Moondi/her work for over a decade, having read her indie books and helped plan an event that she was a featured author at back in 2013. I was so thrilled that she was finally being traditionally published because I knew she deserved it. Therefore, I was pretty pumped to read 24 Hours in Paris. I say this to explain there was a bit of bias and a whole lot of really high expectations going into reading this new rom com. While I can’t say that I loooved 24 Hours in Paris, I can say that it was funny, entertaining, and enjoyable.

Here’s the book’s description:

All bets are off in the City of Light . . . where life and love can change in less than a day
After calling off her engagement, Mira escapes on an all-expense paid business trip to Paris. Despite the delicious food and flowing wine, she can’t forget the ache of leaving her fiancé behind or the fact that she’s just blown up her personal life. And messing up simply isn’t Mira.
She’s used to being in control. Meticulously planning. But now she’s at the mercy of the travel gods, and they are not acting in her favor. Subways are missed. Trains don’t run. Flights are overbooked. And by the time she arrives at the airport to go home, there are no new flights to NYC until the next day. The worst part? She’s now stuck in Paris for twenty-four hours with her arrogant and insufferable co-worker Jake whose constant flirting and annoying optimism is more than she can handle.
But as they spend the next twenty-four hours in Paris, exploring the city in all its beauty, Mira realizes that she and Jake have more in common than they thought, and he may turn out to be the best thing she discovers in the City of Love.

One thing you must know about Moondi is that she is funny. I found myself laughing throughout this story and I just love how clever Moondi is and that, by extension, her characters are whip smart too. That was probably my favourite thing about both Mira and this book. Too many rom coms these days are light on the “com” – but not Moondi’s novel. (In fact, you might even argue it’s light on the “rom”.) I wish I had noted some of the particularly humorous quotes but, alas, I was enjoying my reading experience too much to stop and write anything down or take pictures! You’ll just have to read it to see what I mean!

A few other reviewers have noted something that I think bothered me but I wasn’t able to put my finger on exactly what it was. Mira had never been to Paris and yet moved around the city extremely effectively. Would it really have been that easy for her? It’s not a small city but I can’t recall a single moment where she was even remotely lost or struggling with the city. Other than, of course, the initial hullaballoo that led her to being “stuck” in the city for an extra day. And I know a lot of people in Paris speak English but Mira didn’t seem to have many language barrier issues at all either. It just didn’t ring very true to me and must have stuck with me more than I realized.

What 24 Hours in Paris does really well is inspire strong wanderlust. My goodness, I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to travel to Paris more than when I was reading Moondi’s novel. There were a few places I recognized as I read the book (recognized based almost entirely on other books and a few movies that I’ve watched based in the city) as well as several new spots that I’d love to visit someday. This part of the story was a balm during a time where travel has been really limited.

24 Hours in Paris isn’t just a romantic comedy. Romi Moondi’s novel is also a love letter to Paris. This is a book to read if you enjoy armchair traveling and characters who are funny and smart and may or may not fall in love by the time you get to the last page.

*An egalley was provided by the publisher, Wattpad, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Certainty of Chance

I’ve been reading Jacquelyn Middleton’s novels for a number of years now and one of the things I love about her work is how her books can feel so different and yet familiar all at the same time. Her latest, The Certainty of Chance, reminded me of why I fell in love with her books so many years ago and why I’ll continue to read her novels as long as she keeps writing them. They’re entertaining and heartfelt with characters I can really relate to.

Here’s the book’s description:

There’s something about December...
Madeleine Joy is feeling more meh than merry. When an Icelandic volcano erupts six days before Christmas, hazardous ash congests European airspace, canceling flights indefinitely—including the thirtysomething's connection to Paris. Stranded alone in London, separated from her sister, and with the devastating one-year anniversary of her best friend’s tragic death just days away, Madeleine has never felt less festive. And as if things couldn’t get worse, the cute guy driving the cab to her hotel won’t shut up about carolers and tinsel…
Julian Halliwell is one of life’s sunny optimists. A former music journalist, he’s embraced his love for London by starting his own black cab business, enthusiastically ferrying passengers from one historic landmark to another. But life hasn’t always been easy for Julian. Having navigated several life-changing setbacks including a cruel betrayal by his former fiancée, Julian remains hopeful that he’ll meet somebody kind, who shares his love of music, his corgi named Winnie, and of course, the magic of Christmas time in London.
Despite being an unlikely match, fate seems determined to throw them together. But can the grieving American find joy again in a world where the lights have all but dimmed?

One of the things I loved about this book was a fairly simple thing: it takes place in London. At Christmas! I loved this for a couple of reasons. The first is that I, like many, many others, have not traveled much outside my own city in the last two years. Armchair travel to anywhere right now is great! The second reason is that my sister was in London while I was reading it (she's back home in Canada now). So as I was reading about Madeleine and Julian’s adventures in the city, I was able to picture my sister there too. She also read the book recently and I loved getting her messages as she got to certain parts. I got a number of “I’ve been there!” messages as well as photos showing exactly what Middleton was describing. Especially fun was that Middleton was also in London in November/December 2019, which is when my sister first landed in the city so they saw many of the exact same Christmas events and decorations that year. And, boy, was it magical. It really felt like I was experiencing the magic of Christmas in London and I really hope one day I can see it in person.

It’s not all Christmas joy, either. Madeleine suffered a loss a year prior when one of her closest friends passed away (perhaps a minor spoiler but I think this is an important warning, especially around this time of year). She slowly begins to find the joy in the festivity around her and it was lovely to read as she opened up over the course of the novel.

Speaking of warnings, I love that Middleton is always super clear and descriptive about the potential triggers in her books. Many of her characters deal with mental health struggles and it’s fantastic that we, as readers, can see those characters in contemporary romances. Plus, Middleton is writing from experience and treats those storylines with the utmost respect. Triggers aren’t mentioned as often in romances - though that’s changing - and it’s impossible to mention them all (I have a very particular one that’s hardly ever mentioned) but Middleton makes sure to thoughtfully think about what her readers might find difficult and mentions them at the beginning of the book.

And the romance! It was such a lovely story as Madeleine and Julian randomly met and had to decide if they’d give into the feelings they clearly had for each other even though Madeleine was only going to be in London for such a short period of time. Julian might be my favourite of all the male characters Middleton has written and has been added to my (long) list of book boyfriends.

I highly recommend you pick up a copy of The Certainty of Chance sometime before the holiday season ends. Jacquelyn Middleton’s latest novel will have you feeling all the feels, including wanderlust and Christmas spirit.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the author in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Blog Tour: The Summer Seekers

During a year (plus) when travel is not a thing we Canadians can safely do, reading about a couple of characters taking a roadtrip across America was a delight. Sarah Morgan's The Summer Seekers is full of characters who will stick with you - all of whom are struggling with finding their place in life. The fun is reading as they find that place in the most unlikely of ways.

Here's the book's description:

Kathleen is eighty years old. After she has a run-in with an intruder, her daughter wants her to move into a residential home. But she’s not having any of it. What she craves—what she needs—is adventure.
Liza is drowning in the daily stress of family life. The last thing she needs is her mother jetting off on a wild holiday, making Liza long for a solo summer of her own.
Martha is having a quarter-life crisis. Unemployed, unloved and uninspired, she just can’t get her life together. But she knows something has to change.
When Martha sees Kathleen’s advertisement for a driver and companion to share an epic road trip across America with, she decides this job might be the answer to her prayers. She's not the world's best driver, but anything has to be better than living with her parents. And traveling with a stranger? No problem. Anyway, how much trouble can one eighty-year-old woman be?
As these women embark on the journey of a lifetime, they all discover it's never too late to start over…

Each woman in the story was struggling with their current life situation for various reasons. Kathleen is getting older and a recent break in to her house has her a bit rattled. Liza is worried about her mom (no matter that she fended off the intruder with a skillet. Frying pans, who knew?) and her family, her mom excluded, is taking her for granted. Martha is stuck living at home and is feeling unmoored and not sure what she should be doing with her life. The three come together, Martha being a total stranger but totally right for what Kathleen needed, and they help each other get to where they need to be. Literally, in the case of Martha driving Kathleen along Route 66!

I absolutely loved that Kathleen had been a presenter for a travel show in her youth. And not even her youth as you'd typically expect - she was still jetting off for the show when Liza was young and Kathleen was well into her 40s. She seemed to be so great and so magnetic and it would have been really cool to watch her show. It was also so unique and I definitely have not read about a former travel show presenter before!

I think this book was a wee bit too long. There were some repetitious scenes and phrases and I found myself just wishing they'd get on with it. I know I was reading an egalley but those types of things aren't normally changed in the final edition. It might be different if there was a ton of action but this was a very character driven (ha...no pun intended) story so reading the same type of scenes over and over again got kinda boring.

I always have such a fun time reading Morgan's novels but I've found that since she's moved from romance to contemporary fiction, a lot of her stories feel...the same. So many focus on mothers and daughters along with multiple viewpoints and I think I'm kind of over that. I don't want to be reading the same thing over and over again. There can only be so many family problems in this format and I feel like Morgan's written them all a couple of times over. It doesn't mean this story is bad. It's not. It's fun and the relationships are so lovely and you can't help but fall in love with everyone. But I expect more from Morgan and if her next Christmas read doesn't thrill me? I might need to take a break. 

The Summer Seekers was a lovely read featuring three engaging characters on emotional journeys, even while two of them are on physical journeys across America. Relationships of all manners are explored in Sarah Morgan's latest novel and you can't help but root for everyone throughout the story.

Buy a copy of The Summer Seekers
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About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes hot, happy, contemporary romance and women’s fiction, and her trademark humor and sensuality have gained her fans across the globe. Described as “a magician with words” by RT Book Reviews, she has sold more than eleven million copies of her books. She was nominated three years in succession for the prestigious RITA® Award from the Romance Writers of America and won the award three times: once in 2012 for Doukakis’s Apprentice, in 2013 for A Night of No Return and in 2017 for Miracle on 5th Avenue. She also won the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award in 2012 and has made numerous appearances in their Top Pick slot. As a child, Sarah dreamed of being a writer, and although she took a few interesting detours along the way, she is now living that dream. Sarah lives near London, England, with her husband and children, and when she isn’t reading or writing, she loves being outdoors, preferably on vacation so she can forget the house needs tidying.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Harlequin, via NetGalley in exchange for a review for the purpose of a blog tour. All opinions are honest and my own*

Blog Tour: Juliet's Answer

I'm not a Shakespeare fan. I never really enjoyed it when we had to read one of his plays in high school English class (except the time we had to make up a scene for Macbeth and my friends and I decided that the three witches got their prophecies from fortune cookies). I don't remember anything beyond the highlights of Romeo and Juliet. I hardly recall the Leo and Claire adaptation, to be honest. But something about Glenn Dixon's new memoir intrigued me. And once I started reading Juliet's Answer, I could hardly put it down.

Here's what this memoir is about:

Eat, Pray, Love (from a man’s perspective) meets Under the Tuscan Sun—a fresh, heartwarming story about a man who travels to Verona, where he answers letters addressed to Shakespeare’s Juliet, all in an attempt to understand heartbreak, to heal and to find love again.
In fair Verona where we lay our scene…When Glenn Dixon is spurned by love, he does something unusual. He travels to Verona, Italy, to become a scribe of Juliet, Shakespeare’s fictional character, all in an attempt to understand his heartbreak. Once there, he volunteers to answer the thousands of letters that arrive addressed to Juliet, letters sent from lovelorn people all over the world who long to understand the mysteries of the human heart.
Glenn’s journey takes him deep into the charming community of Verona, where he learns the traditions of the townspeople and becomes involved in unravelling the truth behind Romeo and Juliet—Did these star-crossed lovers actually exist? Did they live in Verona? Why have they remained at the forefront of hearts and minds for centuries? And what can they teach us about love? At the same time, we learn about Claire, Glenn’s unrequited love, the source of his heartbreak. Was she truly his soul’s match, or was she, like Rosalind in Shakespeare’s classic play, a mere infatuation who pales in comparison the moment his real Juliet enters his life?
When Glenn returns home to Canada and resumes his duties as a Grade 10 English teacher, he undertakes a lively reading of Romeo and Juliet with his students, engaging them in passions past and present. But in an intriguing reversal of fate and fortune, his students—along with an old friend—instruct the teacher on the true meaning of love, loss, and moving on.
An enthralling tale of modern-day love steeped in the romantic traditions of eras past, this is a memoir that will warm your heart.

I, like many other chick flick lovers, watched and enjoyed the 2010 Amanda Seyfried film, Letters to Juliet. That was the first time I remember hearing of Juliet's house and the letters people (mostly women) write to her. The movie barely scratched the surface of Juliet's secretaries. In fact, Juliet's Answer probably could have gone more in depth. But it's fine, almost better, that Dixon didn't because then it'd be more of a research book and less of a memoir. But Dixon gave me a much better idea of what it's like to be one of Juliet's secretaries. The idea that so many people write to a fictional character with their love problems is both heartbreaking and romantic. And that there are people who write back to those who leave a mailing address? That letter won't change the world but that response means the world to someone. 

Here's a true testament to how enthralled I was with this book. I started reading it just after Christmas...at the same time I got really sick. I took it with me on day 3 of a sore throat to the walk in clinic where I had to wait an hour and a half to have a doctor confirm my self-diagnosis of strep throat within about thirty seconds of examining me. Brutal and "poor little ol' me", I know :) But the time almost flew by as I kept my nose in the book and tried not to breathe on anyone. I was transported to Italy and Glenn's world as I sat on an extremely uncomfortable chair. If that doesn't say "engaging", I don't know what does.

I'm so intrigued by the fact that Romeo and Juliet may have actually existed. Had anyone else heard that before? Because I most certainly hadn't.

I think Dixon found a great balance of facts and personal experience. I really enjoyed how he put together his experience in Verona with what was happening with his love life back at home in Canada. Just one or the other wouldn't have been as engaging but weaving it together the way he did made for a great and interesting read.

And that cover? Between that and the way Dixon wrote about Verona I want to jump on a plane to Italy immediately. 

Juliet's Answer is a fairly quick and easy read but it's one that will stick with you for awhile. Glenn Dixon has written an absolutely lovely memoir that allows you into his past and his life while also educating you on a play you thought you knew. 

Now, as a bonus for my blog tour stop, here's a piece on "The Science of Love" from Glenn Dixon. Enjoy!

While writing my book, Juliet’s Answer, I looked at a lot of the research on love and much of it came down to this: love is not one single thing.  Many of the experts agree that there are at least three separate but related facets to what we might call true love, and interestingly, each facet has its own individual brain chemistry.

            The first and most obvious aspect of love is sexual attraction. It’s no surprise that this biological system is almost entirely controlled by the hormone testosterone, in both males and females. Of course, we all know that there more to love than sex, but we must admit that it’s a big part of it.

            The second facet of love in what is sometimes called the triangular theory of love is called intimacy. It’s includes touch, cuddling and hugging and kissing but it’s much more than that. This element of love also involves trust, it involves being able to share your dreams and your deepest secrets with the person you are with.  These connections are strengthened and controlled by the familiar neurotransmitters of serotonin and dopamine which light up the reward centers in our brains. A look can be enough, a gentle word or the warmth of your lover’s hand in yours.

The third facet of love is the most interesting. It is sometimes called commitment.  A wealth of research shows that there is an expiry date on the first two facets of love, a period many researchers peg at about four years. This is a part of the theory of evolutionary psychology –  the four year period being the span of time needed to bring a pregnancy to full term and then raise that child to the point where the little he or she can walk and talk and basically function in the world.  This, or so the research claims, defines an ‘window’ for many relationships, whether or not a child has been conceived.  But the third facet of love goes beyond this simple time frame. For the lucky few, love can last much longer, even an entire lifetime.  It is a matter of wanting to, a conscious decision that your life is the better for it.  It’s associated with a remarkable neuro-hormone called oxytocin.  This is the same chemical that causes goslings to imprint on the mother goose, it’s the same hormone that bonds a mother to her newborn baby and if you ever see an elderly couple walking hand in hand after all those many years, you can be sure that it is washing through their happy brains.

All these neuro-hormones and their associated neural pathways form the chemical moons that pull at the tides of love.  It’s complex of course but in this sense we are all, like Romeo and Juliet, star crossed, our fates sealed by our very own biology.

*An ARC was provided by the publisher, Simon and Schuster Canada, in exchange for a review for this blog tour. All opinions are honest and my own.*

BEA 2015: Day Two

Happy birthday to meeeeee! That's right...Thursday was Day Two at BEA and my champagne birthday! I was thrilled to be celebrating my 28th birthday in New York City and completely surrounded by books.

I actually ended up spending the majority of the day at the show on my own. It was actually kind of nice because I was able to stop where I wanted, when I wanted, and stay as long as I wanted. I knew one of the things I had to do was the tattoo chain from Litographs. The basics: they take a poem, chop it up, and make temporary tattoos. I got the second last piece of the day for "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot. I told the guy taking the pictures that I wanted to do this that day because it's something fun to do on my birthday. He wished me a happy birthday and said they "just happened" to be having a birthday special and I got to pick out a tattoo to take home with me! (Stay tuned for my haul post where you'll see which one I picked!) How nice was that?

Left: Colouring books are all the rage (yay!) and there was a board to colour!
Top: My Litographs tat and the photos of the chain.
Bottom: The craziness that was the Harlequin romance signing.

I was getting the hang of signing times and such and I learned that Harlequin was going to be doing three signings throughout the day. I went to the romance one in the morning (I think that was the morning one) and the women's fiction in the afternoon. I skipped the insanity that was the YA signing. Harlequin did things a bit differently: you met and got signed books from about six authors all at once. It was nice because it cuts down on the number of lines you have to wait in but it's also tough when, at the end of the day, you have twelve novels to lug home and you're not sure if you want to read all of them! I ended up giving two of them away to two of my roommates and another got left behind since I knew I wouldn't read it. Suitcase space was precious! It was great to chat with the ladies at Harlequin (I loved seeing all the badges from Canada!) and meeting so many of their authors.

Orphan Black was for my mom. Hexed is
signed. And yes, that is Lumberjanes!

Katherine (Ms Lady Critic) and I met up at some point and wandered around together. We ran into someone who told us that there were Saved by the Bell comic books up for grabs. Since we didn't have any authors to see in the next little while, we headed on over to the graphic novel area. Boy, did we do well! We got chatting to a few of the vendors who were more than happy to hand over some titles for us since we're fairly new to graphic novels. A huge thank you to all of them for these goodies!

Lunch on day two was at a diner down the street from Javits. After a crazy huge meal (that was cheaper than eating at the centre), the roommates went home (happily taking my signed Sandra Boynton print with them so I wouldn't damage it - thanks, ladies!) and I went back to the show for the Harlequin women's fiction signing and a few other authors I wanted to see. I had promised my friend Natalie, of Browsing Bookshelves, I would try to get something for her. I ended up having time to get After the Red Rain signed by Barry Lyga for her, yay!

By a happy coincidence, I ended up in line behind Melissa (Chick Lit Central) at the women's fiction signing at Harlequin. Samantha Stroh Bailey came by to say goodbye to Melissa (who was leaving at the end of that day). Melissa wanted a pic of all three of us and, in more "the world is so small", the person taking our picture ended up being Beth of Fuelled by Fiction, a fellow Canadian blogger! The day before Giselle of Booknerd Canada had mentioned me, Katherine, and Beth in a tweet so it was a crazy coincidence. I absolutely adore Beth and I'm so glad I got to meet her in person. I just wish we didn't live in different provinces!

After a long day, I scurried home to change before my big birthday night out. While I was planning for the week, I had mentioned to Tiff (Mostly YA Lit) that I didn't have Thursday night plans. She and Sarah (You Should Read this YA) were planning to see Finding Neverland after dinner out that night. Did I want in? Um, hells yes. Dinner was at The Marshal, an amazing local place where I ate the best mac and cheese ever and the most scrumptious strawberry shortcake. Mmm. Bring me back.

3 ladies out on the town - I loved that the menu had the date on it!
A delicious New York rose cide - Birthday Dessert #3

Next stop: Broadway! I was so pumped for the show and was so pleased that Finding Neverland ended up being beyond amazing. There was laughter and tears (from Tiff...she just couldn't hold it together ;) ) and a great time had by all. (Seriously, see it if you're in New York!)

After the show was birthday dessert #4 (if you're keeping track) - donut ice cream sandwiches! Yep. Such a thing exists. Tiff, who discovered the shop and bought my dessert for me (thank you!!), was a champ and finished hers while Sarah and I had to admit defeat. I just couldn't finish my birthday cake ice cream between a coconut topped donut! But, boy, was it ever good. (Not so good? The guy who decided to start chatting us up. Sarah was too nice, I ignored him, and Tiff, at the other end of the table, was oblivious. Thank you to the shop owners for kicking him out before things got too awkward!)

Left: In front of the sign outside the theatre. Middle: I'm at a Broadway show!
Right: Posing with my gigantic dessert.

I don't think I could have asked for a better birthday. Thank you to everyone who made it such a special day!

Make sure you check out Tiff's day two recap post because she's got some more great pictures and details of our evening out.

In case you missed it...

Planning + Travel Day

Day One - Day at the Show

Day One - Evening Events

BEA 2015: Day One - Evening Events

After a crazy (but great) first day at BEA, I was ready to move onto my evening activities. First up, as I previously mentioned, was the Simon & Schuster hosted event for Laura Dave's Eight Hundred Grapes (review here, if you're interested!)

It was a happy coincidence that I had read Eight Hundred Grapes about a week and a half prior to BEA - before I even knew I'd be going to this event. I'm really glad I did because book events are so much better when you've read the book being talked about! I wasn't originally invited to this event and it was thanks to the amazing generosity of Melissa of Chick Lit Central (who I would finally be meeting that night) that I'd be going. She reached out to BookSparks, who had invited her, and asked for me to be put on the guest list. Thank you, Melissa!

It was adventure getting there (my first Uber ride was interesting), but eventually the girls (Tiffanie of Mostly YA Lit, Andi of Andi's ABCs, Tiffany of About to Read, and Gail of Ticket to Anywhere) and I arrived at the venue, The Park. The restaurant was so nice and I adored the twinkle lights strung up around the outdoor seating.

We were able to meet author Laura Dave immediately. She was as sweet in person as I expected! She actually remembered tweeting with me a few days prior (thank you, Mom, for giving me a unique name, and thank you, self, for giving yourself a Twitter handle that includes your name) and was so appreciative of my kind words about her book! I always love an author even more if they are as thankful for my support as I am to be meeting them. 

There was a ton of food to be eaten but, I admit, I was more excited for the above desserts and wine! There were three kinds of each, though I only tried the two white wines (the Prosecco was dee-lightful). 

Signage - Laura Dave is so tiny (and I am so giant) - With the other bloggers!

While I was thrilled to finally meet Laura Dave, I may have totally fangirled when two other guests walked into the event...LIZ AND LISA. Ahhh! Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke are the two women behind the, now defunct, Chick Lit is Not Dead blog. They're authors as well  (so they're focusing more on their own work than reviewing other novels) and I absolutely adore them. I awkwardly hung around so I could meet them and, after telling them that I really love their work, mentioned it was Melissa who got me into the event as I was wait-listed for the event my other dinner companions were going to. Turns out they were going to that event too and Liz told me they wouldn't leave without me and we'd all go to the event together. Speechless.

After chatting books, life, and being a twentysomething with two of the girls from Simon & Schuster (I wish I remembered their names because I totally adored them), taking pictures with Laura, and picking up a finished copy of Eight Hundred Grapes (now signed and personalized!) and a great mug, Liz, Lisa, Melissa, and I headed out to Ladies First, an event hosted by Jennifer Weiner and Atria Books, in support of VIDA: Women in Literary Arts. 

Top Left: With Liz and Lisa. Middle: The view from the 42nd Floor. Swoon.
Right: With Colleen Hoover! Bottom Left: A few of the ladies at the event.
Right: Jennifer Weiner speaking to the crowd. 

True to her word, Liz got me in the door and I was able to surprise Samantha Stroh Bailey (in the blue striped dress above) and Meredith Schorr (in the black and white striped dress above), two of the other women I'd be dining with that evening! While the event was free, you could give a $30 donation and get a tote and five signed books from any of the authors at the event. And there were a lot of authors! Jennifer Weiner, of course, Jodi Picoult (who we apparently walked right by when we came out of the elevators), Elin Hildebrand, Jen Lancaster (in the flower dress and crown in the group shot above), and so many more. It was quite hard to pick which books I wanted! There was a lot of food here too but since I had had so much at the previous event I passed on everything...except the milkshakes. Give me ice cream and I am a happy girl. :)

I ended up with Colleen Hoover's Confess (I got a picture with her but didn't think to get my copy personalized. Stupid. BUT she said I looked familiar after I said I was at the Atria Toronto event last fall. Squee!), Maureen Johnson's The Name of the Star (I've loved her for so long and to be able to say hi and get a signed book was so cool!), Elisabeth Egan's A Window Opens, Brenda Janowitz's The Lonely Hearts Club (which she personalized for me - she's so sweet!), and Spinster by Kate Bolick (which wasn't actually signed and she was busy chatting with someone and didn't even look over to me while I was hovering sooo...that sucks.). 

Meredith, Samantha, Melissa, and I had dinner reservations to get to so we scurried off to our next destination. The cab ride took forever so we eventually got out and walked the last couple of blocks to the restaurant (Trattoria Trecolori), just as it started raining, of course! Along with the four of us, Julie Valerie (who I had met for lunch earlier in the day), Francine LaSala, Amy (who also reviews for Chick Lit Central), and Lynn Marie Hulsman were also there. There was so much to talk about (books! BEA! life! wine!) and so much to eat and drink that it felt like we were there for no time at all. I pretended to be oblivious as Meredith, who was seated next to me, ordered desserts for Sam and I (her birthday was the day before, mine the next day), and act surprised when a piece of the most decadent chocolate cake was placed in front of me. :) Amy and I quickly devoured the cake and then, eventually, it was time to head home. Goodbyes were said (sad!) and I powerwalked home to the apartment and my roomies. 

Left: Meredith, Sam, and me in the cab. Middle; Me and Meredith at dinner.
Right: My first (of many) birthday desserts.

Because there were six girls and only two keys, we had to do some creative planning to make sure no one got locked out of the apartment. I knew I'd be the last one home that night so I texted Emilie to say I was on my way so she'd let me in when I buzzed. When I opened the door to our place I was greeted with the sweetest surprise: five girls yelling, "Happy birthday!", cupcakes, and mimosas. The cupcakes were from Donna Bell's Bakeshop - which was opened by Pauley Perrette (Abby on NCIS) (boy, was my sister jealous). I had the red velvet cake and a mug (well, two) of mimosa before heading off to bed. 

My first day at BEA was a success and I didn't get lost. I couldn't wait to see what the second day, and my birthday!, had in store!

In case you missed it...

Planning + Travel Day

Day One - Day at the Show

BEA 2015: Planning + Travel Day

I did it, friends. I finally made it to Book Expo America. (What I didn't do was post my recaps in a timely fashion. Ahem.) For those of you who don't know what BEA is, it's basically a giant book convention full of authors, publishers, and other bookish vendors and it's all around amazing. I've only wanted to go for the past, you know, four years or so. Every year I'd see so many bloggers talk about how great it was and I decided 2015 was the year it was going to happen.

Thankfully, my grandma seemed to be in a giving mood. (Seriously, I have the best family ever.) I was also even more motivated to go this year because the event would be happening the same week as my champagne/star/golden birthday. (28 on the 28th, baby!) How could I not go, right?

But before I could get there I had a lot of planning to do. Not only had I never been to BEA but I had never even been to New York City. I knew it would be expensive to stay so the first order of business was to find some roomies. After a few failed attempts at finding local-ish folk to stay with, I was finally put in touch with some of the Ottawa Bloggettes who would be attending. Luck was clearly on my side as the girls would be staying in an apartment that slept six and they only had five attending. Would they let in a girl who hadn't met most of them in person? Yes, they would! Accommodation: secured.

I quickly registered for the event and, after a long pro/con list for how I should get to NYC, booked my flight. I read up on what I could and could not bring with me to the show, and bothered Michele of Just a Lil' Lost with countless questions (thanks, lady!). I decided which authors I wanted to see in the autographing area, and tried to figure out what books would be given away, where, and when. At a quiet night at the library where I work, I read through a New York City guidebook and made notes on what I'd like to see when I was in the city (knowing full well I wouldn't have a ton of time to see the sights). I made pre-birthday, birthday, and post-birthday night plans. I also figured out that packing a suitcase within a suitcase would be the best way to get all of my books home (after I told myself, quite sternly, that I needed to be careful about how many books I needed to bring home). I signed up for the outrageous roaming package for my phone so I would be able to communicate with folks while in the States. I decided that driving myself to the Buffalo airport and parking there was the most cost-effective measure and found myself a coupon to park. My roomies and I decided that we would meet at the Newark airport and I would be the first one there.

Then...it was time to go.

I've been to the Buffalo airport before but because it involves a border crossing, I knew I needed to leave lots of time just in case it took awhile to get into the US. I also suck with directions so I needed some buffer time in case I got lost, too! (I did kind of get turned around...it's so confusing coming out of the crossing!) I got to the airport with plenty of time so I read at my gate while I waited. I have a messed up back so the last thing I wanted to do was wander the airport with a carry on and purse. It was close to my boarding time when a mild disaster struck...my flight was delayed by an hour. OK, not a big deal. I sent a tweet to my roommates but I would still get to the airport around the same time as they would so it was all ok. Time for tea, a disappointing muffin, and a postcard purchase for my sister. Back to my gate when everything went to hell in a handbasket...my flight was now cancelled. I don't travel much so I didn't know what number to call or where to go in the airport to figure it out on my own so I lined up with all the other chumps and waited for the not-very-nice attendants to help me. It took forever because so many people were only connecting through Newark. After silently cursing everyone and myself, and meeting a lovely couple who had just traveled through the Niagara region, I finally got myself a seat on a later flight. Yay? Bad news was I would now have to figure out a way to get from the airport to near the apartment on my own. Bit of a worst nightmare for this inexperienced traveler. But first, what is a girl to do with four hours to kill in an airport?

I needed to have some lunch and, damn it, I needed a drink. I sat myself at the bar and, a little while later, a ridiculously good looking guy sat a couple stools down from me. We started chatting and it definitely made the time fly. I may not be single but I wasn't about to turn down the chance to talk to a nice (looking) guy. (When I told my roommates this story they were all furious...I'm the only taken one in the bunch so it wasn't fair that I got to meet the hot guy!)

I finally made it to Newark, with a dying phone, and got myself on a bus shuttle that would take me to somewhere near the apartment where two of my roommates, Emilie of Emilie's Book World and Katherine of The Lady Critic's Library blog and Ms Lady Critic vlog, met me at a random corner so I wouldn't have to find the apartment on my own. These ladies are my saviors. Also, this happened to be at the random corner I was on:

Cake Boss, anyone?

After trying not to run people over, or get run over, we made it to the apartment. I dropped off my stuff, looked longingly at the plug that would charge my phone and the couch that would be lovely for my weary body, and headed back out into the world. First stop, Strand bookstore! Emilie and Katherine wanted a few books and I wanted to experience bliss the bookstore. I was also an exhausted sheep so they could have led me anywhere and I would have followed. The girls picked out one New Adult book that sounded great (Leaving Amarillo) so I bought one too. Then we hopped on over to the Teen Author Carnival. This was the first real indication that I'd be spending a bit of time on my own during BEA since I don't review, or pay too much attention to, much YA. So, while the ladies were getting their books signed, I watched over their bags and sat my tired ass down on the teeny chairs in the children's section of the library we were in. Here I finally met the rest of my roommates: Ciara of Lost at Midnight Reviews, Jessica of Read My Breath Away, and Kathy of A Glass of Wine. I also met Sarah of You Should Read This, who would be one of my birthday date buddies later on in the week. Had I mentioned my phone was practically dead? This meant that many people didn't know I had made it safely. I loved Michele's comment on this selfie Katherine snapped of us while at the event.

We finally, wearily, made our way back to the apartment - after a stop at Duane Reade for some supplies, including much needed alcohol - though the rest of the night is a hazy blur. No, not because of the booze. I could barely finish my Twisted Tea! I was just so tired. I had never been so happy to fall asleep on a pullout couch before in my life.

So that, my friends, was my experience getting myself to BEA. It was a hell of a time getting there but...I was there! I was in New York City! And what was I taking away from my experience? I am so driving to Chicago next year.

Up next...my first day at BEA. The one word I'd use to describe it? Overwhelming!

Reviews: Just One Day and Just One Year

My original plan for my review of Just One Day was to pop it in one of my mini review posts. Then I read Just One Year and decided to put the two together in one post. I feel like they’re meant to be talked about together since they’re essentially the same story…two sides of the same coin, if you will. These books are all about fate and accidents (not the disastrous kinds) and my friend and I experienced one of these accidents ourselves. Fellow blogger Natalie, of Browsing Bookshelves, and I both read Just One Day (synopsis here) on the same day without the other knowing it. How’s that for a coincidence? We needed to meet up to discuss the book but then decided to wait to talk about it until we had both read Just One Year (synopsis here). Unfortunately, because of Christmas craziness, we still haven't been able to meet up!

I had been hearing great things about Gayle Forman for awhile. Truthfully, most of that positive praise came from Jamie of Perpetual Pageturner and The Broke and the Bookish. After she talked about meeting Forman at a signing that happened to take place on her birthday (check out her post…I love how happy she looks!) I thought I should finally get around to reading Just One Day to see what it was all about. I’m so glad I did! It was an emotional and amazing read and Just One Year was no different.

I read Just One Day in one sitting. Literally. I sat on the couch, started the book, and did not move until I finished it. (Keep in mind I am a fast reader!) I got so sucked into Allyson and Willem’s story that I had to keep going until I finished it. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! Forman has written an incredibly compelling and modern love story. It’s fantastic. Just One Year was the exact same and if I didn’t have to go out (to meet Natalie, actually) I would have stayed in my chair and finished that one in one go, too!

I loved the traveling aspect of the stories. I’ve never really traveled anywhere and I think I’d like a guided tour, like the one Allyson and Melanie were on in Just One Day, but, like Allyson, I think I might feel a little let down by the sights as they whizzed by. Watching her explore Paris with Willem and other cities on her own was a lot of fun. Because of Forman’s writing, I felt what she felt (amazement, anxiety, love, and so on) as she traveled and experienced new things. Reading about Willem’s solo adventures was even more interesting. He was a seasoned traveler and knew who to talk to, where to stay, where to eat, and so on. I like that both Willem and Allyson easily made friends with fellow travelers and how those turned into more than just a passing acquaintance.

I’m a lot like Allyson – always doing the right thing, being the good girl – so I really connected with her. I hated seeing her upset after everything fell apart in Paris. The first year of college or university can be hard enough without being heartbroken and becoming estranged from your best friend. Allyson’s circumstances and reactions could be seen as completely over the top but Forman makes it work.

I loved learning more about Willem in Just One Year. I didn’t think I would but I ended up really loving it. And, in all honesty, I fell a little bit in love with him, too. (Oh come on, like you’ve never crushed on a fictional character…hehe.) There was a lot going on in his world that we only got a hint at in the first book. The second book really shows why he is the way he is and what motivates him and I thought that was excellent.

When reading Just One Day I was on edge for almost the entire book, wondering if and when Allyson would ever find Willem again. I desperately hoped they would because I didn’t think my poor heart could take it if they didn’t! Then, when reading Just One Year, I couldn’t believe how anxious I was. I knew what was happening in Allyson’s world as Willem searched for her. The number of times they came close to finding each other was maddening. And even though I knew what would happen at the end, I was still stressed out!

I’m so glad I finally read Just One Day and Just One Year. I now understand why everyone is in love with Gayle Forman! If you’re looking for a great contemporary read, check out this series. I’m definitely going to make a point to read some of Forman’s other books, particularly If I Stay as it is being made into a movie right now. Have you read Gayle Forman’s books? What did you think of them?

Top Ten Tuesday: Travel Reads

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish. They created it because they're "particularly fond of lists" and since I also enjoy lists, I've decided to participate in this fun feature.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday is full of books that feature travel in some way. I left out a couple of the obvious titles (Anna and the French Kiss and Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes) because I knew they'd be on several lists and I wanted to feature other titles that some people may not have heard about. I hope you'll find some new reads! Enjoy :)

Don't forget to check out their blog for a full list of everyone participating this week!

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Ann Brashares
Greece tends to feature at least once in each book and there are other road trips and such usually featured.

A Scottish Ferry Tale/Scotland by Starlight - Nancy Volkers
Cassie decides to go on a trip to Scotland to visit her boyfriend but ends up getting dumped. She takes a ferry to an island and finds love there. 

The Dressmaker - Kate Alcott
Talk about a trip...this book starts off with the voyage on the Titanic. 

All at Sea - Heather Wardell and The Perfect Man - Sheila O'Flanagan
Both of these (excellent) books feature cruises.

Swimming at Night - Lucy Clarke
Katie finds out that her sister has died while traveling abroad in Bali. She decides to retrace her sister's steps to see what really happened. It's not a fun travel book but it's an excellent read.

Stuck on You - Heather Thurmeier
This book features a type of Amazing Race event based in New York. So much fun.

All Roads Lead to Austen - Amy Elizabeth Smith and Under the Tuscan Sun - Frances Mayes
These are two good travel memoirs. I liked the Austen one (which takes place in Latin America) because it worked in some research as well but I also liked seeing exactly what Mayes' life was like (since it's different than the movie!)

Arranged - Catherine McKenzie
Anne decides to take the plunge and goes on an all inclusive trip to Mexico...for an arranged marriage. This is one of my favourite books. 

Chick Lit Plus Blog Tour: Dancing Naked in Dixie

Welcome to a stop on the CLP Blog Tour for Dancing Naked in Dixie by Lauren Clark! I read Clark's first novel Stay Tuned awhile ago for another CLP Tour and really enjoyed it (see my review of that one here) so I was eager to sign up for this tour. Clark did not disappoint and delivered another enjoyable novel.

Here's what this book is all about:

Travel writer Julia Sullivan lives life in fast-forward. She jet sets to Europe and the Caribbean with barely a moment to blink or sleep. But too many mishaps and missed deadlines have Julia on the verge of being fired. 
With a stern warning, and unemployment looming, she's offered one last chance to rescue her career. Julia embarks on an unlikely journey to the ‘Heart of Dixie’—Eufaula, Alabama—home to magnificent mansions, sweet tea, and the annual Pilgrimage.
Julia arrives, soon charmed by the lovely city and her handsome host, but her stay is marred by a shocking discovery. Can Julia's story save her career, Eufaula, and the annual Pilgrimage?

This was the first of two books that I've read recently that featured a travel writer (the second you'll hear about later this month). Do you think the universe is trying to tell me something? Nah. I doubt it. :) So even though it wasn't a sign to switch careers, I love reading about travel writers. They seem to always have some sort of commitment issue that needs to be worked out and it allows for lots of pretty scenery along the way.

I think I needed more romance in this book. The focus of the book wasn't the love story but I think I needed just a bit more of a relationship between Julia and Shug. I knew they'd end up together but there weren't enough of those little moments for me. Or maybe it was that a situation came up that put his girlfriend out of the picture...it wasn't that he "chose" Julia as much as he liked her and then his girlfriend was conveniently out of the way. Sorry - it's hard to explain that without giving too much away!

My favourite part of this book was reading about Julia's journey. Her boss seems to know just what she needs to figure stuff out - even though he sort of has his own agenda. She's so unstable at the beginning of the book yet she doesn't quite realize that. It takes the wonderful folk in Eufaula to show her how to get back to solid ground.

Overall, I liked Dancing Naked in Dixie but I didn't love it. Have you ever read a book and wondered if you should have left it for a later date because you just weren't feeling it but knew you would normally enjoy it immensely? OK, that might just be me but that's how I felt about this one. I think many chick lit lovers would really like this one so I encourage you to pick up Lauren Clark's latest and find out for yourself. Check back on Friday when I have a guest post from Lauren!

Happy reading :)

Author Guest Post: Irene Woodbury

First of all, I have to apologize for my lack of posts lately. I was hit with a wicked cold and was super busy at work - neither of which let me have time or the brain capacity to write anything worth reading! Now, onto the fun!

Irene Woodbury is currently on tour through Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours and while I have not read A Slot Machine Ate My Midlife Crisis (yet!) but I'm so happy to have a guest post for all of you to read by the lovely author herself. When I was checking out her website I was intrigued by the travel writing that she's done so this guest post explains a little bit about that. A big thank you to Irene for writing this for Books Etc. I hope you all enjoy it!

“Our long-awaited month in London was about to become the vacation from Hell!”
           
That was the lead of my first travel story, and truer words were never written.  It was November 2000.  My husband and I were on vacation in London.  It was cold, and it wouldn’t stop raining.  We didn’t want to go anywhere or do anything.  The apartment we’d rented was in a quiet residential area that made us feel lost and out of it.  What to do?
           
My husband, who had a long career at Time Magazine as a reporter, had always wanted me to write travel stories.  I wasn’t interested.  As a full-time student in the 1990s, I spent the semesters writing papers.  I didn’t want to write anything other than a postcard on vacation.  But I was no longer a student, and we were both getting bored and cranky, and it was getting even colder, and it wouldn’t stop raining. 

One day my husband came up with a plan:  He would write a travel story, and I would help him.  Famous last words.  I soon took over, and, before I knew it, I had 40 pages on London walking tours.  I wouldn’t stop!  I absolutely loved it.  I wrote a rough draft on the plane ride back to Denver, and typed it on my computer the next day.  A few weeks later, the Los Angeles Times agreed to print it.    The 30-some pages I turned in ran as 6, but I didn’t care.  I was ecstatic!  My husband was happy.  It was the beginning of my travel writing career.
           
My next story also took place in London.  With my husband’s assistance, I did a long piece on the food halls of major department stores like Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Fortnum & Mason, Marks and Spencer, and Selfridges.  Talk about work!  We were on the Tube all day, going back and forth from one to the other, interviewing managers, checking out the prices of marmite and biscuits, trying out cheese plates, having tea, analyzing the décor and uniforms the cashiers wore.   Seven days a week, we were in the food halls, gathering details on prune cake made by nuns in Spain, wild mushrooms from Italy, bread and pastries trucked in from Paris, pork and beef from the English countryside, salmon from Scotland.   I took notes and wrote.  My husband did the photos.   The Los Angeles Times ran that one too--a full page story!  I was thrilled, and the readers loved it.
           
I did many London stories over five years.  Another favorite was the Bridget Jones tour.  We were in London when the movie made from Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, came out. I bought a copy of the book, got my pen, and stayed up all night marking the locations in the book. The next morning, I had a list, and out the door we ran!
           
There was her apartment on Bedale Street above the Globe Tavern in Borough Market, the Serpentine Gallery where Daniel Cleaver and Mark Darcy brawled over her, the boutiques she shopped in on Oxford Street.   We even had an authentic English breakfast at Debenham’s department store, where Bridget liked to munch her beans, toast and pork sausages.
           
Our tour also included stops at the elegant Claridges Hotel, where Bridget and Mark attended the wedding reception of her friend, Jude, and the dignified Guildhall, where Bridget endured the double humiliations of a make-up blunder and an undergarment malfunction during a formal reception.  Her date, the proper Mark Darcy, is embarrassed by her appearance and her inappropriate behavior, of course.
           
I loved this story.  It ran in the Toronto Star.  The final sentences were:  “No other tour has made us feel so comfortable in this complex city.  Thanks Bridge!”  To this day, I second that emotion.
           
Just one more London story, then I’ll move on!  I’d always wanted to have formal tea at the best hotels in London, so we did this as a story.  We had long, leisurely teas at the Lanesborough, Savoy, Ritz, Basil Street, and Dukes hotels.  The average price was $40 to $50.  What a wonderful time it was!  As we sipped our tea and munched scones, pastries, and finger sandwiches, I snuck in notes, (sometimes we told people what we were doing , more often we didn’t) and my husband discreetly snapped photos.   A well dressed Ritz security person finally told us:  “One more photo, and you’ll be asked to leave.”  Needless to say, we put the camera away. 

This was a terrific experience.  The story ran in the L.A. Times—and, by the way, the Lanesborough was the best of the lot for food, service, atmosphere, and attitude.
           
I’ll tell you about one Paris story—my favorite in that incredible city.  On the plane ride from Denver, I said to my husband:  “I wonder what it would be like to shop for second-hand clothes in Paris?”  I lived to regret that comment because every day when we woke up in the apartment we’d rented, he would ask:  “When are you going to do that story on used clothing stores?”
           
To tell you the truth, I didn’t even know how they referred to these places in French.  We finally found out from the American guy we’d rented the apartment from.  Then we looked them up in the phone book, got our Metro guide, and figured out how to get to these “depot ventes.”
           
This was another incredible fantasy trip.  You would not believe the clothes and accessories in these stores!  Yves Saint Laurent suits, Chanel handbags, Versace boots, Prada leather jackets, Dior dresses, Balenciaga skirts.  It was incredible.  We covered five or six stores all over the city, but we only had space for four in the story.  The shop-owners were fairly cooperative, but I kept a low profile and behaved respectfully and discreetly.  My husband took photos, but, once again, discreetly.   They knew they’d get publicity from the story—if it got published--so they went along with it.  But they wouldn’t put up with any nonsense!  It was the experience of a lifetime to trek through those stores and check out the extraordinary offerings for both men and women.  
           
If you’re going to Paris anytime soon, the four stores in the article were Reciproque in the 16th arrondissement, Depot Vente du 17eme (17th arrondissement), Misentroc on the Left Bank, and Alternatives in the Marais.  The prices are in every range.  The story ran in the Dallas Morning News and The London Daily Telegraph.   It will always be one of my favorites.
           
I won’t go into detail on other stories I’ve done, but I covered a literary walking tour in Dublin; the Royal Botanical Garden in Madrid; a crocodile preserve near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, an indigenous Indian village in Mexico; the spas of Las Vegas, Elvis-related entertainment shows in Las Vegas, chocolate-themed specialty shops and cafes on the Strip, and backstage theatre tours in London.  I like variety.
           
Thanks for the opportunity to look back on some of the happiest days of my life. (There were a few downsides. It was an expensive pastime. I worked 7 days a week and didn’t have a computer with me. We never knew if the stories would sell or not, and when they did, we didn’t make much money.) I’m looking forward to getting out there again with my notebook, pad—and husband--one of these days.