My 2009 Favorites

If there's one thing that remains a constant in my life, it's an enormous TBR pile on my nightstand. I'm not kidding, there's eight books currently sitting in a stack, patiently awaiting their turn. And Christmas didn't help any, as I got six new books to add to the pile. 2009 was truly the year of the self-regenerating TBR pile.

Let me start off with saying that I loved, loved, loved each and every Novel Girl book this year. I think it's really neat how we all share this common bond, yet each of our books and, thus, our writing styles are so different. But I truly enjoyed them all, so Thank You!

As for non-Novel Girl books that I loved in 2009, there have also been a few. Here's just a sampling:

1. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe. I know I've mentioned this one before, but I was astounded by this book. It's about a woman who moves into her grandmother's home to help clear it out for sale, and finds an ancient key in an old Bible with a piece of paper stuck to it, bearing the words Deliverance Dane. This book combines tons of historical information about the Salem Witch trials, told in such an interesting way, along with a fun narrative.

2. Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch. This book is about Jillian, a discontented wife and mother, who one day wakes up seven years in her past and gets to make all of her important life choices over again--getting married, leaving her job, moving out of the city. It's sort of Peggy Sue Gets Married meets Family Man, if that makes any sense. I loved that it combined a commercial, high-concept with truly beautiful writing. (And I think Allison is just one of the nicest people ever!)

3. Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella. I've been a fan of Sophie Kinsella since the first Shopaholic book--which I just found out there will be another one releasing later this year (Squee!). This book is about a woman who wakes up one day to find that she not only has amnesia, but that her life is...better. She's married to a man with movie-star looks, has the perfect body, lives in a mansion and has a closetful of designer clothes. A fun beach read, I breezed right through it and laughed a bunch of times along the way.

4. Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink. This was my favorite YA book in 2009. I don't want to give too much away, but it's a haunting, creepy Gothic historical about twin sisters and an ancient prophecy that is awakened on the night their father passes away. I cannot wait for the second book.

5. The Pat Conroy Cookbook by Pat Conroy. This isn't a new book, but I've been a huge Pat Conroy fan for nearly ten years. I've had this book for awhile, but never cracked it open. When I did, I fell in love. The book intertwines Pat's life stories with some of his favorite recipes, many French-inspired. As a writer, I loved the sections where Pat talked about how he broke in to publishing. Here's a quick one: apparently, when Pat received his first-ever offer on a book, he countered that he could have the book printed for much less than the sum mentioned by the publisher. As in, he thought that amount was what he had to pay the publisher to put his book out.

Happy reading!

My Favorite 2009 Reads

I read so many great books in 2009, I don't really know where to start. Choosing my favorite reads for the year is tough, but I have to start with each of the books my fellow Novel Girls wrote. I truly loved every one of these stories, and they exemplify (in my opinion) some of the best reads out there.

However, in addition to these terrific books, I also read quite a few other wonderful books in 2009. Here is a list of those favorites and why:

• Remembrance by Jude Deveraux: This is not a new book, as it was published in 2004, but it quickly became one of my all-time favorites. The story centers around a romance writer (!) who is unable to find true, everlasting love in her life, but then, when she begins a new novel, becomes fixated on her fictional hero. As the story progresses, we learn that her hero isn't fictional at all, but rather, a memory of an everlasting love from one of the heroine's prior lives. I loved every word of this story.


• Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult: Again, not a 2009 release, but a story that has stayed with me for months after reading it. This story takes place mostly in the world of the Amish, and when a newborn infant is found dead on an Amish farm, questions are raised. Who does the baby belong to? The suspense is riveting and well-paced, but I really enjoyed diving into a world I was mostly unfamiliar with.


• WITSEC: Inside the Federal Witness Protection Program by Pete Earley: This is also not a 2009 release and it's not a fiction book, but I've been considering writing a novel where one of my characters is in WITSEC, so I read this for research purposes. It's an engrossing read, and there's a lot of information to be gleamed from it. I can truly say that while a lot of this info was on the gruesome side, it was also compelling. I learned a lot about the program and the criminals that made the program a necessity.


• La Vida Vampire by Nancy Haddock: This is a wonderful debut novel about a vampire who was trapped for over 200 years and then found during the renovation of a Victorian mansion. This is not your typical vampire story! It's light, humorous, and while there are some spine-tingling moments, it's a ton of fun to read.


• The Accidental Bestseller by Wendy Wax: This is the last book I read in 2009, and it's easily one of my top favorites. I loved it so much, I immediately ordered the rest of this author's back list. For anyone who wonders what it's like to be a published author, this is a must read, as it covers everything from the worst of circumstances to the best of the best in the world of publishing. Plus, the strong bonds of friendship between the four main characters (all writers) felt very real to me.

In addition the above, JD Robb's In Death series is always a favorite of mine, and 2009 brought two new titles to the series. I've had a great year of reading, and can't wait to see what books fill me with happiness in 2010. What about you? Do you have any favorites from 2009? Share, please! I'm always happy to buy more books...

"The road goes ever on and on..."

"...Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say..."

Thus Bilbo Baggins, leaving Bag End.

I love adventure. I love the beginnings of new adventures - as scary and queasy-making as they can be in those first few fresh steps - and that's sort of what this feels like for me. Well... it does and it doesn't.

Truthfully, last year this time was closer to the beginning of my adventure - not just a writer but an author. This year, I am no longer a debut author. And, for some reason, that makes it feel like the road is finally reeling out in front of me. Like I'm stepping off the gravel track onto the asphalt! It's scary and exhilirating, full of unseen destinations and encounters. And I can't. hardly. wait.

My first book is doing wonderfully thanks to all of you out there whove taken care of it and given it a home, or at least a place to stay for awhile. My second book, DARKLIGHT, is just now beginning its adventure out in the world. My editor will be sending back my edits on Book the Third in the series and I am breathless with anticipation. I have new projects on the go, and a brain full of stories, and a waiting keyboard, and the best story-sounding-board of a guy ever to help me find the right paths to take. I have the best agent in the world riding shotgun with me. I have family and friends lining the road flag-waving and cheering me on.

2010? Bring it. I have excellent walking shoes and I'm looking for the sign that says "Adventure --> THATAWAY"

2010, I Already Love You!

I’m not a big New Year’s resolution maker, mainly because I always end up breaking them fairly quickly. But this year, I made myself one giant resolution, and that is to keep a positive attitude and just enjoy life. In doing so I have convinced myself already that 2010 is going to be an amazing year, and why shouldn’t it be? I have a lot to look forward to!

On the writing front I’ve got two, yes, two books releasing this year! In February, my second YA book, THE LIFE OF GLASS, will be out. And some time in the fall my first book for adults, THE TRANSFORMATION OF THINGS, will be out. Rather than feel stressed, scared, or overwhelmed (as I might have done last year when THE SEPTEMBER SISTERS came out), I have decided to simply be excited. No, thrilled, really. Just three short years ago, I greeted the new year with nothing but an unsold manuscript and some rejection letters, so two books out in one year is more than a dream come true for me. I’m also looking forward to all that comes with it, book signings and book sightings, and really, going from a debut author to the author of three published books, in just a few short months.

I’m also looking forward to finishing up my second adult book (which is in the final stages of revision right now) and hopefully finding a home for my third YA book. In between all my promoting and, you know, positive thinking, I would like to also find the time to start my next book. (I already have the idea, of course!)

On the personal front, this is the year I’ll celebrate my ten-year-anniversary with my husband and we’ll take our much-discussed vacation to celebrate (our first kid-free trip since our kids were born– we’ve had the grandparents booked already for three years!). Vegas, here we come! My oldest son will start going to school all day, and my youngest son will hopefully finally leave toddler-hood, tantrums, and diapers behind.

I know it’s going to be a busy year, and it’ll probably fly by, maybe too fast. But I’m also looking forward to enjoying the ride!

Looking Ahead

Forgive me, but I'm in a bit of a haze today. 2010 greeted my son and I with a wallop of a cold, so I spent much of last night surrounded by tissues, cold medicine and cough drops. To everyone out there who has kids, you know that it's one thing to be sick yourself, but it's quite another to have a germ-y child running around.

But, despite the not-so-warm welcome into this year, I have an inkling that 2010 will be the best year yet for all of us Novel Girls. 2010 is really the year where we move from debut writers to career writers, and I know it's going to be filled with lots of blessings.

Of course, I'm excited about launching my next book on May 25, Not Ready for Mom Jeans. I've said it before, but I'm having trouble realizing that it's time to get back into promo mode, since I'll soon have two babies out there. I hope that the world is just as kind to my second book as it has been to my first. I do wonder if it will be easier or harder to launch a book that isn't my "debut," but I guess I'll find out soon!

I'm also looking forward to turning in my option book, In My Life. I'm in the middle of doing a big revision due to some pretty awesome agent notes, so hopefully 2010 will be gentle and allow me to coast right through 'em!

On the personal side, in 2010 my energetic toddler will turn three. I'm hoping the terrible twos will taper off as his birthday grows near! Lately, I've had to drag him out of bookstores, kicking and screaming, more times than I care to share. (You would think that it's a good idea for Barnes and Noble to have a Thomas the Train playset. You would be wrong, as it only leads to toddler furor when it's time to leave.)

I'm also looking forward to taking some trips this year. My husband and I will most likely make the trip out west and go skiing in Colorado again, and we'll shoot on down south to Hilton Head, South Carolina sometime this summer. I'm sure we'll also make a few weekend trips up to Wisconsin, to enjoy all of the beer, cheese, snow and water sports that are just an hour away.

And I would be remiss if I didn't mention that I'm looking forward to reading even MORE books by my fellow Novel Girls. I love pointing to your books and declaring to everyone I know that, "I KNOW her! No, really!"

Cheers!

A Look at 2009 -- A Week Late!

So, last week I inadvertantly jumped ahead a week in my blog topic, so this week, I'm going to write about last week's topic. Sigh. I guess I truly couldn't wait for 2010 to get started!

In looking back over 2009, I'm astounded at how many things changed in my life. I began 2009 as an unpublished author; amazed, excited, and more than a little scared about the release of my first book, A TASTE OF MAGIC, and my second, A STROKE OF MAGIC. I hadn't received my first official review yet, and I'd yet to know the joy of recieving reader e-mails.

Also, 2009 is the year my eldest entered adulthood and left her high school years behind for her first year of college. Wow. I remember the day she was born in perfect clarity: her chubby cheeks, those so small hands and feet, and the terrifying fear that I was responsible for keeping her alive and happy. Scary stuff when you're barely 21! Even scarier when I realize she's now 19, and only two years younger than I was when she was born.

But wow, has she made me proud (and continues to do so).

2009 also brought grief in the loss of my aunt and god-mother: an amazing woman filled with love, kindness, and creativity. I miss her every day, and don't expect that will ever change, but she also gave me so many gifts to treasure.

And, of course, the economy has hit us hard. We've been without medical insurance for over a year now (hopefully, that status will change soon!), and we've really had to tighten the belt around here to keep things going. Weirdly, though, we're also closer than ever before.

Delightfully, my husband sold his first book in a three book deal in 2009. I'm so excited to see him experience all of the firsts that I've already gone through. And it's pretty darn special to share something so awesome with him.

So, as I sit here in the beginning days of 2010, I'm still shocked at all the changes--both the good and the bad, but I'm focusing on the good. My third book, A BREATH OF MAGIC, will be released at the end of April, seeing my second oldest graduate from high school and make the transition into college, and watching my younger two continue to grow and experience life.

I'm happy, I'm loved, and really...I can't think of a better way to end one year and step into a new one.

The Year That Was...

I sit here looking back on 2009 from the lofty perch of two whole days into 2010. I have the honor of being the first Girl to post in this New Year and the distinction of being late again to do so. What--you wouldn't want me to do something weird like make resolutions and keep them or anything would you? ;-)

No no. Instead, I thought I'd kick off the year by doing absolutely nothing productive yesterday (a sort of tradition for me--it's like a transitional period from one year to the next) and then do something fun today like... announce the winner of the DARKLIGHT release week contest!

RKCharron come on down!!

You are the winner of a signed, hardcover copy of DARKLIGHT!!

YAY!!! *muppet arm flail*

Please email me at lesley (at) lesleylivingston (dot) com and send me your address!!

And, see, this is what looking back on 2009 means to me! The fact that I can do that--that I can give away a copy of my second book--is what this year has meant to me. I published my first book this year. I wrote the sequel. I saw it launch (yes yes-- I know, in the US. The Canadian release date is mired in confusion which I hope to have cleared up next week when the HC Can offices are open! Promise!). And I finished the first draft of the third book in the trilogy. Ye gods, I have written a trilogy. Everything else?... Pretty much a blur.

Well, not exactly a blur... but the overarching theme for me for 2009 was, of course, the insanity of sudden, acute writerdom! It was a year of tremendous excitement, fun, anxiety, weirdness and wonder. And I would have lost my mind somewhere along the line if it hadn't been for the extraordinary support of family friends and you guys.

It's funny. You spend so much time reaching and reaching for something and then suddenly you have it in your hands and you say "Holy Hell--where did this come from?? And what do I do with it now that I've got it?" That was what 2009 was for me. Half "brass ring", half "be careful what you wish for", all of it... ultimately... awesome. I can't wait to see where 2010 goes from here!