Favorite #Book Series #LongandShortReviews #BlogChallenge

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

This week's topic: Favorite Book Series and Why

There is no way that I can write about just one series. I tried. It's not happening. I'm an avid reader, I'm a writer, and I worked as a bookseller for 12 years. I love talking about books almost as much as I love writing them! I did my best to narrow the list... alphabetically by category.  

Yeah, I can't help myself. :) This post might get a little long. You can skim to your favorite genre. But I think these books are all worth reading!

Chick Lit

Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella

There is something sweet about Becky Bloomwood. She's the kind of girl I'd like to call my best friend. Reading this series is like listening to that friend tell you what's happened in her life and the strangely odd situations she finds herself in. These stories are funny, sweet, heart-wrenching and did I say funny? Hilarious might be a better word.

Children's Books

Sweet Valley Twins by Francine Pascal

My first favorite books and my first favorite series. Whenever I think of firsts or favorites, I inevitably go to Sweet Valley Twins. This series is about twin sisters, Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield, and the drama, adventure and antics they experience. Drama and life lessons for kids told in an entertaining way.

Harry Potter by JK Rowling

Yep, I'm a Harry Potter fan, too. This series has everything a kid (or an adult!) could wish for in a good story. Adventure, high-stakes, magic and a little bit of romance. All told in a suspenseful, page-turning way. There's something for everyone in here and that in itself makes these stories magical!

Other 5 Star Children's series
Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander
Vesper Holly by Lloyd Alexander
Bunnicula series by James Howe

Mystery

Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovich

Omg! Whenever I need to read something with humor, I always, always, always turn to Stephanie Plum. She never fails when I need a laugh-out-loud story to escape into. With Grandma Mazur and Lula, I can never go wrong. Add to that characters like Ranger and Joe Morelli? The recipe for a great book!

Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

I'm currently re-reading the short stories and novels about Sherlock Holmes. The first time I read them when I was in my early 20s, I found myself addicted. Seriously, I couldn't wait to get home from work so I could dive back into the world of Sherlock Holmes. I loved to see how his mind worked and try to solve the cases alongside him. This was way before the Benedict Cumberbatch version (which I love, btw!), but even back then I thought intelligence was super sexy. I've always had a crush on Sherlock. 

(Psst! This Kindle version is on sale at Amazon for $0.49!)

Romance

Fantasy Romance

Chronicles of the Warlands by Elizabeth Vaughan

I have an affection for fantasy stories that grew from my childhood. As an adult, I was less impressed with the fantasy novels that I read. There are some really great ones out there, but I couldn't find a fantasy series that had the level of romance that I desired. Not until I came upon Elizabeth Vaughan's books. This is the perfect blend of romance and fantasy that I crave! An excellent series! 

Medieval Romance

The deBurgh Family by Deborah Simmons

Each of these books focuses on the romance of one of the deBurgh siblings. There are seven of them in all, plus a short story about their father, the patriarch of the family.

Paranormal Romance

Immortal Witches by Maggie Shayne

These are enchanting romances about immortal high witches. After they die, the are essentially reborn as immortals. But there are dark witches who hunt them. Each story is different, stunning, beautiful and haunting. They are incredible tales that will astound anyone who loves paranormal romance.

Regency Romance

The Bridgertons by Julia Quinn

Oh, the Bridgerton family. I started reading them out of order. I actually read Romancing Mr. Bridgerton first, but it was such an incredible book that I went back to the beginning with The Duke and I. I absolutely love these books! Julia Quinn is an amazing author. Each book is about a sibling and how they find love. They are witty, full of humor and set in Regency-era England. This series is also in production to be released as a series on Netflix sometime in 2020! I'm so excited to watch this!

Other 5 Star Regency Romance series
Heart's of Desire by Gayle Wilson
Men From Special Branch by Elizabeth Thornton

Time Travel Romance

Viking series by Sandra Hill

These books are sexy and hilarious. Like romantic comedy time travel Viking romances. These are must reads for anyone who likes time travel romances. The author includes the perfect amount of historical detail to make the reader feel like they've really traveled into another time. The heroes are sexy and humorous. I love the interaction between these characters.

Urban Fantasy

Anita Blake by Laurel K Hamilton

This is the first urban fantasy series that I can remember reading and it will always hold a special place in my heart. These books are an intense blend of horror and romance which I found compelling for my little ol' gothic heart. Reader beware: there are graphic scenes of violence and as the series progresses it shifts more toward horror erotica. I'm not too crazy about the more recent titles, but I'd say the first 12 books are  

Women of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong

I actually read Dime Store Magic and Industrial Magic first because I didn't realize that this series was about a collection of characters in the same world. Once I discovered that, I quickly went back and read Bitten and Stolen. After that, I read them all in order and loved each one! The books are mostly about Elena Michaels and her journey to becoming a werewolf, but there are books that focus on other characters like Paige Winterbourne (witch), Jaime Vegas (medium), Hope Adams (half-demon), Eve Levine (half-demon turned angel) and Savannah Levine (Eve's daughter).

Other 5 star Urban Fantasy series:
The Hollows by Kim Harrison
Sookie Stackhouse by Charlaine Harris

Young Adult

Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer

Okay, I admit it. I'm a Twilight fan. I got drawn into the stories during my days of working at the bookstore. The books are so much better than the movies, just fyi.

Emily series by Katie Maxwell

If you're looking for laugh-out-loud hijinks in a well-told story, then you must read these books about Emily Williams, a teenager who moves with her parents from Seattle to England. Emily adjusting to a different culture is hilarious. These books are written by Katie Maxwell (aka Katie Macalister), always guaranteed to make you smile. 

Be sure to check out the other blogger's suggestions at ...

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

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Beth-Ann Miller returns to her Tennessee mountain home to find chaos erupting between her family and their shape-shifting neighbors. Her father is convinced the were-cougar clan is responsible for the murders occurring in their area and interrogates one of the shifters, Boone Evans, her childhood sweetheart. When Boone declares several members of his shifter family have gone missing including his little brother, Beth-Ann suspects someone else is behind both the murders and abductions.

Boone never expected to see Beth-Ann again. When she frees him from her father's cabin and promises to help find his brother, Boone doesn't plan on rekindling their passionate love affair or facing the pain of past mistakes. Nor does he plan on coming face to face with the man responsible for altering his family's life forever.

With men hunting the were-cougars, can Beth-Ann and Boone risk all to have a future together? Or is loving Boone too high a price to pay? 

AMAZON

Adjusting to Changes #Covid19 #Quarantine #IWSG #books

The first Wednesday of every month is officially 

Insecure Writer's Support Group day.

The Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It's a safe have for insecure writers of all kinds!

IWSG Asks: The IWSG's focus is on our writers. Each month, from all over the globe, we are a united group sharing our insecurities, our troubles, and our pain. So, in this time when our world is in crisis with the covid-19 pandemic, our optional question this month is: how are things in your world?

I've actually been contemplating writing a post about my thoughts on covid-19 and this gives me another reason to write it. Thank you, IWSG, for supporting writers everywhere!

My thoughts are with the world right now. My heart goes out to all those suffering. This virus has affected all of us to some degree. Our lives are different now. It won't be like this always. I don't like to say things will get better because for some of us, lives will be forever changed. But we will move on. Life always does. So, saying that, I want to wish you all the best of blessings and that you stay safe and healthy, and your friends and family stay safe and healthy, too!

Working in my "office" which is the sofa in the living room
with my laptop, my cat, and my son watching Paw Patrol.

For me, working as a full-time author and mother, my life hasn't changed in any drastic measures. I am extremely grateful and realize how lucky I am considering there are many others out there that are not in the same situation. 

My four kids are home from school. For how long, we don't yet know. This affects my writing time. I write when they're at school, so I've had to alter my schedule. But to be honest, it's no different than when they're home on summer vacation. So it hasn't been a great upheaval. I write in the early morning when they're still sleeping. Or most of them, anyway. I don't write as much or as long, so my production is not where I want it to be. I'm not getting as much done, but I know that will change eventually and I'm trying not to stress about it.

Meetings and appointments are cancelled. No more Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts or Cub Scouts. No sports or activities. No hanging out with friends or window shopping anymore. So, that's changed. But not by much. I'm a single mom with four kids. At the moment, my income is extremely small. We barely get by. Having money to take trips and go shopping isn't part of our normal routine. In fact, having my kids home has saved me money. I don't need to give my kids money to go to school dances now. I don't have to pay for any fundraisers or field trips. I don't have to buy extra food for packed lunches for the Scouting events. And since I have nowhere to go, I don't have to pay for gas. 

I'm still trying to look for the positives in this difficult situation.

My grocery shopping has changed. I don't just pop into the nearby Giant to get a gallon of milk every other day now. My kids eat a lot! I'm trying to teach them how to ration food so I don't need to keep shopping so often. Ideally, I'd like to go once every two weeks, but so far I've only made it ten days. I'm also hoping this will teach them how lucky they truly are to have things like food. To appreciate what they have and not complain about not having more, more, more.

Instead of going to the park for a walk or playground time, we take walks in the cemetery. There usually aren't a lot of people there. My kids can run, get fresh air and sunshine. Again, this isn't unusual for us. I've spent many days walking around the local cemeteries. As an introvert, there are some days where I don't need to socialize, but I still want to get outside. 

Personally, my anxiety and depression have spiked. I'm very empathetic. I feel a lot of the emotions around me. Even though my life hasn't changed too much, I know others are suffering greatly and that pains me. I worry about my friends and family. I worry about my Facebook friends who have posted that they're ill. I worry about my favorite actors and actresses. I worry about strangers I've never met. I'm worried about my readers and you! Seriously, if you're reading this, whether you know it or not, you're important to me, too. I hope you're well and safe!

My writing has suffered. It's difficult to write feel-good romance when you're depressed. After the first week, I switched stories realizing that I wasn't getting anywhere with my current WIP. Then when I started stalling on that second one, I realized I just needed to take a break. I walked away from writing for a few days. 

Instead, I dove into reading. Like reading for hours, which is something I haven't done in a looong time. I'm so busy all the time with writing and the business of writing and marketing my books while raising and caring for my kids that I only read for enjoyment while I'm waiting to pick up my son from preschool and for a little while before bed. 

It felt really good to read a whole book in one sitting again. I haven't done that in so long, I can't even remember how long. Since I became a single mom, for certain. But even before that, I was so busy trying to keep my life together that I didn't have time to read for enjoyment and relaxation. And I needed it. I didn't even realize how badly I needed it. To simply lose myself in another world for a while. To forget about the troubles of this real world and the threat of virus and uncertainty. 

Doing this, losing myself in reading again, has really made me think.

Is someone else out there, wanting, maybe needing, to escape the real world and choosing my book as the vehicle for their escape? Are they grieving? Are they overworked? Exhausted? Worried? Anxious? Depressed? Or just needing to think of something else, anything else, for a short time? Maybe they just need a short diversion. Maybe they need something more in-depth and involved. Could the choice be down to picking up a book or picking up a bottle? Maybe something worse? I've heard others say how reading books have quite literally saved their lives in one way or another. And I've heard others say how reading kept them sane during tough times. I, myself, used reading (and writing) as therapy after I lost my mom when I was a kid. 

Books are important! Reading is important!

Keeping this in mind has given me the motivation to get back to my writing with a new sense of purpose. I'm not a doctor or a nurse. I'm not a politician or a teacher or a grocery worker. 

I can't save the world.

But the one thing I'm good at, the one thing I know I can do is create entertaining stories. I write romance novels where happily-ever-after is a guarantee. That's something we're not promised in the real world. But I can write those stories for readers. 

Or King! ;)

I have no idea if anyone will ever read my books and say how much it helped them get through tough times, but if there is even one person, then I feel it's worth it to keep writing.

This virus has impacted us all in some way or another. If you're a writer, struggling for a reason to write, as I was, maybe this blog post will help you. Maybe it will be enough to keep you writing, too. 

Someone out there needs to read your book. Someone needs to escape the world for a little while. Your book might be just the thing they need at just the time they need it.

Be safe! Stay healthy! Keep writing!


~ Tricia 

Be sure to visit the other writers in the 

Insecure Writer's Support Group!

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Become a VIP Reader by signing-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

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