If you’re interested in coming, the admission fee is $5.00 or one gently used romance novel. It goes to charity and for a great cause.

Looking forward to seeing all of you there!

Friday Reads: What’s on Your TBR list?

I have been so busy lately that i haven’t been able to blog! I recently got a promotion at my day job so I’m still making the transition. I’m also trying to find a house now (I know, it’s such a grown up thing to do) so my life has been totally focused on these few things. Have I also mentioned that I’m trying to stay up to date with my MFA program and I’m single again so I’m attempting to date?

I’m exhausted just reading that. Which is why I haven’t gotten to my TBR pile in a while. I wanted to share some of my books with you. If you guys have ready any, or if you have more suggestions (god forbid) send them my way! Have a happy Friday, everyone.

<3Nisha

Last night I went to go see The Hunger Games. (No spoilers, I promise!) I have to say, I wasn’t sure that I’d like it, and I’m still torn about it. Maybe because the person I went with was so miserable during the whole movie because I dragged her to see something I knew she probably wouldn’t like, or because I really only watched the movie to see the romance aspect of the novel come to life. Either way, I’m torn.

My question to all of you is, why do you like The Hunger Games? What draws you to the story? When I ask myself the same thing, I come up with two answers:

1. I love a strong heroine, a kick-butt heroine that does what she can to survive and to help others even if helping is an unconscious effort.

2. I love a good romance. I am, above everything else, a romance novelist. I want to see people become better because they found the one person in their lives who can improve them, support them, and in some ways, complete them.

I guess that’s why I write stories that contain strong heroines in a strong romance thread. I want to entertain people with the very things that entertain me. Because honestly, what good is a writer if she doesn’t like her own work?

Back to HG. Now, I wouldn’t classify Ms. Collins’ work as a romance. However, I, and several others, hone in on that aspect of the story (Team PEETA!) because the emotions are so real, so unexpected in such a harsh, unfeeling environment where kids are forced to kill each other (sorry, i guess that counts as a spoiler). The one aspect of the movie I really enjoyed was the interpretation of the cave scene and the kiss. The one where although Peeta is injured (damn, another spoiler), he is so hungry for her, his broken body literally lifts up to get more of her, to stay connected to her. *sigh*. And for that, I’m glad I went to see the movie.

I’m not sure where this disjointed blog post is going, but I guess the best way to conclude is to say that I like my characters to be happy and Ms. Collins’ tortures her characters so much that I’d think this wouldn’t be the type of book for me…except when she writes those tiny moments of insight into the romantic link between Katniss and her men like the cave scene, she makes up for the horrible things that happen in Panem. The moments are so much more important and make a bigger impression on the reader/viewer BECAUSE of the world they exist in.

Kudos to the movie for doing a great interpretation of the movie, and kudos to Ms. Collins for making me believe that love can exist even after the world ends.

Our May 12th meeting will be a joint meeting with Sisters in Crime-Central Jersey. Once again, it will be held at the Jamesburg Senior Center 139 Stevens Ave., Jamesburg, NJ. The program will be shorter than in past years. Doors will open at 10am with program to begin at 11am. Our keynote speaker will be 3-time Agatha nominee Elizabeth Zelvin speaking on “Writing About Social Issues Without Getting Preachy.” This will be followed by a lunch break at noon. At 1pm we’ll have a panel on writing in multi-genres and cross genres. Panelists will include Caridad Pineiro, Nisha Sharma, Eileen Watkins, Lois Winston, and Pearl Wolf. The program will end at 2pm. Our speaker and panelists will also have their books available for sale.

A continental breakfast and catered lunch including sandwiches, salads, and beverages will be available for $15. You’re free to brown bag your own food, but if you want to partake of the catered meals, you must bring a check to the April meeting or mail it to arrive at the PO box prior to April 25th. Checks should by made out to Liberty States Fiction Writers and mailed to PO Box 2914, Westfield, NJ 07090.

Also, please note this is a members only event. Do not invite any guests to attend with you.

Just as a quick note before I jump into Movie Monday (pun intended), I attended the Liberty States Fiction Writer’s Conference this weekend and met so many awesome people! I even connected with really great readers and received positive reactions frommy workshop. So thank you, Liberty States! You guys throw one heck of a party…er, I mean conference!

Okay, now for Movie Monday. 21 Jump Street came out this past Friday and it got great reviews. Jonah Hill was on Ellen and he talked about how he spent the last 5 years writing the movie. I really respect actors who are so talented that they write, produce AND act. Jonah Hill is really hysterical and I definitely plan on checking out this one. Enjoy!

New Release! A Cowboy’s Destiny

I’m pleased to announce the re-release of my book “A Cowboy’s Destiny” under my pseudonym ‘Tess Quinn’! It’s vamped up with a new title, a couple revisions, and a brand spankin’ new cover that’s so awesome sauce. You can purchase it on Barnes and Noble AND Kindle for $0.99! Check out the blurb below along with an excerpt…

Destiny, a PhD and successful parapsychology writer, certainly did not expect her mother to tell her that she would die if she didn’t get married to a man chosen for her in infancy.

The collision of two hardheaded, anti-marriage witches makes Destiny and Matt’s first encounter explosive. Now they have to figure out a way to get along for the two weeks they can’t be separated without doing the one thing that could change their fate forever…falling in love.

Destiny’s voice was thick and sluggish with sleep. “How can you not believe I’m your other half after everything that happened today, cowboy?”

Matt smiled into the crown of her hair. Her question bothered him, but he didn’t think he could hide the truth from her. He didn’t want to. Despite everything, he wanted to be honest.

“It’s not that I don’t believe in bonding. I just don’t want anything to do with it or marriage. The last time I got involved with helping someone find the person they loved…bad things happened.”

Destiny looked up at him, her face close to his as she continued to rest against his chest. “Sometimes, you can’t stop life from going the way life was set to go.”

“You can’t stop ‘destiny,’ huh?” Matt knew he sounded rueful, but he couldn’t help respecting her for her answer. For someone who reacted so intensely to any reminder of her mother, she didn’t carry any guilt or blame anyone for her difficult life.

“What are we going to do for the next two weeks?” Destiny said, yawning. “We can’t be away from each other, apparently. Leaving you doesn’t feel…right.”

Matt knew saying that must have taken courage. He didn’t want her to know how close he already was to her. How panicked he felt. Was Destiny really the other half of his soul? He took a deep, ragged breath.

“Have you ever ridden a horse, Dr. Snow?”

“No.”

Matt smiled at the dry tone in her voice. “Well you’re going to have to get a crash course in riding, I guess.”

“In your dreams, cowboy.”

Matt smiled as he wrapped Destiny against him more firmly. Holding her this way calmed him, and that was what scared him the most.

I am so happy to announce that the Men in Black 3 trailer is out! I loved these movies and I can’t want to see this one on Memorial Day. Enjoy.

Thank You.

I have a beat-up moleskin that I use as my venting journal. I have been filling it since I started working in New York last March. Recently, I flipped through my journal and I realized how negative, how depressing it sounded. I know that seems funny since it’s a venting journal and well, it’s supposed to sound depressing, but I didn’t like it. I’ve been having a rough time lately, with health, work stress, book stress and after looking at my journal, I knew that as much as I vented out the bad emotion, I needed to focus equally on the good stuff, the stuff I take for granted.

A couple weeks ago, I started a new tradition. Every day, I’d write down one thing I’m thankful for on an index card. I’d address it to God, because I feel like I haven’t given him his due respect in the few years, and I’d leave the index card in front of my god statue I have in my apartment.

I cant say that things have become dramatically better, or dramatically worse. Last week was really bad and this week was okay. The whole purpose of my index card isn’t to pray for something better. It’s simply to be thankful for what I already have. The process has helped ground me and put things in perspective.

So Thank You. For being friends, readers, and generally good people. And maybe you can take a moment to be thankful for something today, too.