I have a secret vice, I love reality TV. I know there is little real about it, but whether watching the Real Housewives‘ gorgeous houses, or the elegant ballgowns on Dancing with the Stars, or guessing the camouflaged celebrity on Masked Singer, I find these silly shows fun. Lately, however, I am finding these shows anxiety-producing. Whether it is the couples dancing cheek-to-cheek on Dancing, … Continue reading Covid and Reality TV’s Fake Audience
The passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg has rocked America. We’ve lost an icon and her death has sent our government spinning in a dozen different directions. Before we get too tangled in the aftermath, we should take the time to celebrate a life, which no matter what side of the political spectrum you fall on, is undoubtedly remarkable. She has forever left her mark on … Continue reading Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Books and Films About her Life -the Essential list
We’re all feeling confined and frustrated at the limitations of lives during the Covid-19 outbreak. Honey Dahari has written a short book aimed at helping people realize the special frustrations of different age-groups and a quick, easy way to find some peace. I often find therapy books a bit cloying, or hard to come to the point. This book is very different. It presents problems … Continue reading Emotional Survival After Covid
By CAILEY RIZZO at Travelandleisure.com For travelers who wish to escape humanity, there’s a remote village in Norway that officially has more books than people. Mundal, in western Norway, is an introverted bibliophile’s dream. There are only 280 people but more than 150,000 books. In fact, the country often refers to Mundal as “The Norwegian Booktown.” Between secondhand shops, roadside stalls and bookshelves along the coast … Continue reading A Norwegian Town with More Books than People
Newfoundland’s Michael Crummey has a way of telling stories hat speak to the Newfoundland experience while also exploring universal themes that appeal to all readers. Awarded the Writer’s Trust Fellowship in 2015, Crummey’s poetry and prose – in multiple genres- have become some of the Canada’s best-loved works. Sweetland is a novel that takes the reader on a journey through a small town, showing the many characters that inhabit such a place. Some are delightful, others are infuriating. Moses himself walks that line throughout the novel. He is at once a sympathetic older man fighting for his right to live his life out in his hometown and a cantankerous old codger, spitting venom at those who cross him. Continue reading Newfoundland Sweet and Crummey Reads
Jonathan Maberry knows how to get into your head. He creates cross-genre thrillers where heroes battle monsters, and he follows teens who see and hear things in their heads. At scaring, thrilling, and understanding the human in us all, he’s a master. And his latest book, Deep Silence, featuring the studly, deeply damaged, Joe Ledger, is out at the end of this month! I can’t … Continue reading Jonathan Maberry: How to Query an Agent or Editor
Please welcome Rita-nominated guest blogger, Sarah Andre, as she extends congratulations from all the Kiss and Thrill gals to Sharon Wray for her fantastic debut novel, Every Deep Desire. Thanks for posting today Sarah. I’m so excited for Sharon Wray, and know my readers will be, too! by Sarah Andre All nine of us are up here and the champagne is overflowing! Welcome, friends, as … Continue reading The View From Cloud 9
by Diana Belchase I’m a bit more conservative than most authors. Gorgeous guys on book covers are not my personal style. Still, this gorgeous cover for Gwen Hernandez’s Blind Fury, the first in her Men of Steele series, really has me thinking. Do I really need to be that shy about my heroes best physical assets? I was once asked to contribute a photo of a … Continue reading How Naked Should Your Book Cover Hero Be?
by Diana Belchase Like thousands of other Americans, I eagerly awaited the release of the movie, A Wrinkle in Time. As a kid’s fantasy adventure, it contained the special effects, star-studded cast, and fast action designed to create a modern blockbuster. A film you waste a couple of hours on and then forget. It’s not the type of film to change anyone’s life, and that is … Continue reading Why “A Wrinkle in Time” Missed the Mark
Today on BookSmart, I’m interviewing historical romance author, Valerie Bowman. Her novels are smart and fun and I’m a big fan. Valerie grew up in Illinois with six sisters (she’s number seven) and a huge supply of historical romance novels. After a cold and snowy stint earning a degree in English with a minor in history at Smith College, she moved to Florida the … Continue reading Valerie Bowman Says “Yes” to the … Rogue!
Today’s guest, author Heather Balog, gives us a step-by-step guide on the art of how to truly embarrass your teen Warning: BookSmart advises an empty bladder before reading 😉 Kids don’t come with a handbook, so sometimes it’s like I’m back in school. I feel like I’m learning something about parenting everyday. My latest educational experiences have led me to the conclusion that I, as … Continue reading Top 10 Ways to Embarrass Your Teen
Author Cleo Bannister reviews The Book of Forgotten Authors by Christopher Fowler. Thanks to her and Cleopatta Loves Books for ferreting out this quirky find. If you are looking for a gift for a bibliophile you can’t go far wrong with this wonderful book that I know I will treasure and refer to for years to come. Christopher Fowler has collated ninety-nine authors who for … Continue reading Christopher Fowler Remembers Forgotten Authors
The fabulous Ellen Byerrum has a great new mystery out. The Masque of the Red Dress — a terrific play on the title of one of Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous stories. In celebration, Ellen has launched a fun series of fashion tips drawing from her own lifelong love of fashion, research for her character, and advice from the most interesting people. In this clip, … Continue reading Ellen Byerrum is Well Suited
The late Jo Beverley sat down in a final interview with Diana Belchase shorty before she died. Her last book was released today and it is the final jewel in the crown of a much loved and lauded author. Continue reading Jo Beverley’s Last Interview
Diana Belchase here: Criminals, police, and bicycles? Mimi Matthews once again regales us with a funny story about mayhem in New Jersey as the law tries to keep up with the newest technology of the 19th Century. Enjoy! Welcome guest blogger, Mimi Matthews: In September of 1896, British newspapers reported the remarkable use of a bicycle in a New Jersey murder case. The case involved … Continue reading A Victorian Era Criminal Leads Police on a High Speed Bicycle Chase
Author Kathryn Jane‘s very funny take on the vagaries of Vancouver weather. Enjoy! Hello, Mother Nature? It’s me again, Kathryn Jane. Just a quick question. Do you have another rooky at the helm? I mean since the idiot who sent us a snow storm a couple of weeks ago? Um, may I suggest you set your margarita aside, peek out from under your beach umbrella and check … Continue reading Snow joke
Author Mimi Matthews astounds us once again today, not only with her encyclopedic knowledge of history, but with this delightful piece about a proposition to tax old maids of twenty-seven! I know you’ll enjoy. Now, here’s Mimi Matthews: The 1777 edition of the London Magazine includes an interesting letter to the editor in which a gentleman—who signs himself as ‘A Friend to the Community’—has appended a … Continue reading A Proposed 18th Century Tax Bill Targets 27-Year-Old Spinsters…And Their Cats!
Diana Belchase here: Today I’m super excited to welcome guest blogger Chris Campillo to BookSmart! Chris is the kind of person everyone loves — she’s the girl next door, a gal who always has your back, a phenomenal writer with a great sense of humor, and a stand up comic. When this Texas mom isn’t taking care of her kids, her home, and working … Continue reading Once You’ve Flashed Your Podiatrist … You Can’t Help but Become a Writer
Author Sharon Wray brings us highlights from this year’s YA’LL fest — a Young Adult book festival in South Carolina. Enjoy! Last week my daughter, my mother, and I held fast to one of our favorite traditions: Going to Charleston, SC for YA’LL Fest, the largest annual Young Adult Book Festival and book signing. With over forty authors and their publishers, publicists, and book store owners running the … Continue reading YA’LL Fest: Where All the YA Fans and Authors Meet Up!
A chance to win a $25 gift card just for adding your Christmas wish list below. Who would pass that up? Thanks to author Chris Campillo whose fantastic book, “Then He Showed Up,” is out this week! Hysterical. Take it away, Chris! by Chris Campillo, Guest Author Do you remember when you were a kid and this was the most exciting time of the year? … Continue reading All I Want For Christmas
