Jenna Bayley-Burke

The RWA National Conference is packed with books. Books in your registration bag, on your chair at each luncheon, scattered about the goody room (they go FAST), at the Literacy Autographing, and all the major publishers host a booksigning where the books are FREE! I packed home too many to list, so here's the 13 that went to the top of my To-Be-Read Pile.

1. Breathe by Donna Alward -- Snagged it as an ARC from the Samhain signing... and then someone snagged it from me when I was handing out books to elevator passengers. Thank goodness Fiona Harper hooked me up with another copy. Still, I wonder what Donna wrote when she signed it...

2. Beauty and the Brooding Boss by Barbara Wallace -- I do so love Beauty and the Beast. I think that's why I tend to write the story over, and over...

3. Cowboy Up by Vicki Lewis Thompson -- Not only are there three more Sons of Chance books coming out, at the signing she said it was looking like she'd get a third set of them! And, my fangirl moment of the conference? I rode back to the hotel from the Harlequin black & white ball in the same taxi as VLT!

 

4. Housekeeper's Happy-Ever-After by Fiona Harper -- I met Fiona on the eHarlequin boards when we were both unpublished. I met her in person at the RWA Conference in Dallas a couple years after we'd sold. And...it's eerie. We're like identical cousins! The easy laugh, curly hair, need to go for a joke. I heart her.

5. And One Last Thing by Molly Harper -- I got this one at a publisher signing for my usual reasons for picking up a book...cover and title. I know, I know. But I mean, look at it. It's going to be good.

6. Real Men Wear Plaid by Rhonda Nelson -- Everything by Rhonda Nelson is good, it just is. Maybe it's my upcoming weekend adventure to the Highland Games, or the hot guy on the cover...I just know I'll love this one.

7. The True Love Quilting Club by Lori Wilde -- I actually managed to snag this and The Sweetheart's Knitting Club because my roomate didn't have room in her luggage :) I had the First Love Cookie Club at home already, so now I have them all. I just need a weekend away to read them in one big gulp.

8. Single Dad Seeks A Wife by Melanie Milburne -- Medicals are hard to come by in the States! This felt like quite a find!

9. With This Fling by Kelly Hunter -- Don't you just love that title? Kelly has a delightful way of mixing the playful and the emotional so that everything is just right. Plus, I got to meet her in person. She's even more lovely than you think!

10. Suddenly Texan by Victoria Chancellor -- The heroine is from Oregon, and the American line is becoming one of my favorites. Plus, it has a Texas cowboy.

11. The Forbidden Wife by Sharon Kendrick -- The back cover says "When Beauty tames the brooding beast..." Can you see the pattern with me and stories?

12. All Fired Up by Kristen Painter -- I have it in ebook, but sometimes it's nice to have an autographed copy. That way, when I loan it to my friend I tend to get it back!

13. Expecting Royal Twins by Melissa McClone -- One of my local authors who just happened to be nominated for a RITA. She did a great job blogging about NYC pre-conference. After reading her posts, I was even more excited to go!

It's going to be a great reading year!!