Authors' keeper books: 'The Saint,' 'Small Gods,' 'Betty Crocker'
Today's featured authors — Mandy Baxter, author of One Kiss More; Lois Greiman, author of Hearth Stone; and Charlotte Hubbard, author of Harvest of Blessings — are revealing some of the books on their keeper shelves.
Mandy Baxter, author of One Kiss More
So many books, so little time! I try to read every chance I get and I've come across some books that are definitely going on my keeper shelf! These books are so unputdownable that I might have gotten sidetracked from work, a clean house, and real life for a few hours (or 10)!
• The Saint by Tiffany Reisz. Oh, how I loved this book! I know, I know, I read out of order, but I found this gem on my Kindle and decided to give it a try. I was instantly sucked into the story, the voice and the dark tone. There is a very Anne Rice quality to Tiffany Reisz's writing that I can't get enough of. She's dark and twisty and sensual in the very best way. A definite auto-buy!
• Lover Mine by J.R. Ward. John Matthew how I love you! I'm a total fangirl of Ward's vampire series and J.M. is one of my all-time favorite heroes. I'm also a sucker for a tough-as-nails heroine, and Ward delivers in Xhex. She's an assassin and a total badass and the perfect mate for a swoon-worthy hero.
• Scandal and the Duchess by Jennifer Ashley. I just finished this book a couple of weeks ago and loved it! I can totally get behind a good marriage-of-convenience trope. The heroine is feisty and the hero is brooding and so very alpha. The sexual tension burned the pages! My inner damsel couldn't help but swoon.
About One Kiss More:
Rough, tough, and by the book, he's most criminals' worst nightmare. Until the girl of his dreams is caught on the other side…
Emma Ruiz knows her father is innocent. But that doesn't help her convince the law—not even smoking hot U.S. Marshal Landon McCabe. When McCabe bangs on her door demanding information about how her cancer-stricken father escaped from federal prison, she'll have to distract him somehow—it may as well be with a stolen kiss.
Landon gets why Emma isn't saying all she knows. What he doesn't understand is why he's putting his reputation, his case, and his badge on the line for a gorgeous person of interest. Much as he'd love to, he can't let Emma play him. The stakes are higher than either of them can guess. The only way to survive is to trust their instincts. But their instincts want more than one kiss…
Lois Greiman, author of Hearth Stone
Not many people know this about me but … I used to be a hobbit. For years on end I ran around my parents' cattle ranch with a tree branch strapped to my hip. It was, of course, named Sting in honor of Bilbo Baggins. So, as you can probably guess, J.R.R. Tolkien was, and continues to be, one of my personal heroes. His prose, his characters, his soaring imagination touched something deep inside of me. In fact, The Lord of the Rings is one of the main reasons I've spent the last 20 years of my life writing fiction … or, as I like to think of it … sitting around in my pjs telling lies.
Being an incurable lover of all things furry, I will always keep a copy of All Creatures Great and Small among my favorites. James Herriot's warm humor has comforted and inspired me for as long as I can remember.
And, in honor of one of the funniest, most creative, irreverent and ingenious men on the planet, I have to include Terry Pratchett's amazing Small Gods. Whether I want to laugh or cry or contemplate the complexities of the cosmos, Pratchett is, and forever will be, my go-to-guy.
In retrospect, I realize that all three of these beloved authors have passed. But they will always be remembered for their amazing contributions. I feel blessed just to share their career path.
About Hearth Stone:
With her chance at the US equestrian team shattered by an injury, Sydney Wellesley arrives at the Lazy Windmill ranch angry and heartbroken. But the rugged red bluffs and wild high plains of the Black Hills inspire her to purchase land where she can train her own Olympic hopefuls. Everything's going according to Sydney's new life plan—until her funding suddenly dries up…
Alone in the ramshackle house she had planned to raze, Sydney is ready to admit defeat and slink back to civilization—until she discovers an injured mustang. Seeing herself in the desperate wild mare, she feels compelled to save the animal at all costs, little knowing that the horse just might return the favor. For as Sydney's circle grows to include an autistic child, an earthy array of local characters, and hired help in the form of Hunter Redhawk, a man as indomitable as the land itself, she realizes that heroes are everywhere—and healing is the first step on the road to true happiness.
Charlotte Hubbard, author of Harvest of Blessings
My first book was published 25 years ago, so I need several "keeper shelves" to hold the reference books I've acquired while writing in many different genres. My current Amish romances require some specialized references, and Who Is Who is one of my favorites. This large paperbound volume lists the Amish and Mennonite "scribes" who live all over the country and send their weekly reports to The Budget, the national Plain newspaper. As I read about each scribe's family and community — and see his/her town on a map — I glean a great deal of information about Plain names, occupations and family traditions.
Although most of my childhood books are gone, I've kept a tattered old volume, The Gateway to Storyland by Watty Piper, published in 1954. The colorful, romanticized illustrations take me back to when I sat in my parents' laps as they read to me. And who knows? Maybe this book was my gateway to becoming a storyteller!
Another keeper is my facsimile edition of Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook. It's filled with fabulous recipes — and several have variations, as well as photographs and step-by-step instructions. This book's illustrations harken back to when Dad brought home the bacon and Mom stayed home to cook it, yet these pre-microwave dishes seem new again now that I prefer to prepare fresh, whole foods. Hmm ... wonder why the dessert section has the most stains on the pages?
About Harvest of Blessings:
The tranquil little town of Willow Ridge is facing a startling challenge. Wealthy Nora Glick Landwehr is determined to make it her home again—and put her past to rest. Cast out by her own family, Nora can't reconcile with Old Amish ways or her strict father. But she'll do anything to help her community embrace the future . . . and make amends to the daughter she had to give up. So, she certainly has no time for her reckless new neighbor Luke Hooley. They disagree about almost everything. And how can she trust him if he always seems to believe the worst about her? Somehow, though, his unexpected support and passionate heart are helping her find her own way in faith. And Nora will discover that even in the face of insidious lies and unyielding judgment, God creates unexpected chances for forgiveness—and love.