I know right now everyone is feeling the anxiety about the coronavirus and all of the unknown factors…some people don’t want to leave their homes, others have been forced to work from home because their companies have closed their doors and many schools are suspending classes for the time being. We’re living in crazy times. I never thought I’d see Broadway shut down but it happened. I’m not a hysterical person…never have been. I take the facts before me, absorb and go. I don’t understand the toilet paper hoarding and all of the empty shelves in super markets. I’m washing my hands more than before because that’s what the CDC (Center for Disease Control) recommends and I’m also making more of an effort to keep all surface areas clean…not just my own but areas in my office because that’s to everyone’s benefit. Other than that, I’m living my life.
I know lots of big events are being canceled because they are trying to limit large groups in one place. It sucks…there’s no other way to say it. When you plan for something for months and then all of a sudden you can’t do it because of something that is totally out of your control it straight up sucks. I’m beside myself that March Madness is canceled and not because I bet money in a bunch of tournaments but for the simple reason that from the time I was about 17, my dad and I have always done our brackets together…not for money but for bragging rights. I just turned 35 and Bracket Monday was supposed to be this coming Monday so an 18 year tradition isn’t happening. I understand the reasoning behind it and all the major sporting events being canceled but it still sucks.
If you find yourself in the house for one reason or another with no sports to watch and you’re all caught up on your TV shows, you may want to venture onto Amazon and grab some great books by some amazing authors to pass the time. First up is my writing idol, Megan March…her latest release which just dropped this week, “Creole Kingpin” is the first in the Magnolia duet. Meghan March has three previous series set in New Orleans and I was so excited when I saw that this story was heading back to NOLA. If you like twisty stories, characters that you can’t help but loving or hating if appropriate, steamy/sexy scenes and cliffhangers that leave you practically screaming for the next book check her out.
Meghan Quinn is another author who regularly takes up space on my kindle. She released “That Secret Crush” which is part of her Getting Lucky series in February. No other author makes me laugh harder than Meghan Quinn when I’m reading. Her dialogue and inner monologues are second to none. This series will bring you to the town of Port Snow, Maine, a small seaside town where everyone knows everyone and secrets never stay secret. It follows the Knightley brothers who are all thought to be cursed in love. You always get lots of heart with Meghan Quinn’s books, super hot chemistry before you get your heart ripped out and then repaired. Her latest release The Trade is the fourth book in a series that can all be read as stand alones but are definitely better as a series about baseball players and their love lives. For a baseball junkie like myself this is my perfect mix of sports and romance. I love the authenticity on the baseball side of things but once again the dialogue is always laugh out loud funny. If you want a good chuckle and something that will pull at your heart strings go check out these books and her other ones!
Now, if you want to be consumed, wrecked, devoured (in the best way possible) by a book you’re going to want to look to the great L.J. Shen. I am addicted to the way she writes but I have to be in the right head space for it because I know once I start I am going to get sucked in and not be able to pull myself out until I’m finished. Her words and her story consume me until it’s over. It happens EVERY time and I’ve read about 10 of her books now. Her latest release, Angry God, is the third book in the All Saints High series which occurs about 15 years after her Sinners of Saints series. I would recommend reading the Sinners of Saints series FIRST so that you’re in chronological order but every one of those books will take a hold of you and I promise you will be really happy you decided to go down that rabbit hole. L.J. Shen is a master who constantly keeps raising the bar so if you’re looking for a book that will pull on all of your emotions, she’s your girl.
I’m also really lucky to have some really talented author friends and if you’re looking for authors who maybe aren’t as mainstream as the ones I just mentioned then check out Hazel Kelly, M.D. Cooper, Thia Mackin, and Annalise Delaney They’re all crazy talented and I’m so so fortunate that I get to call them my friends.
If you need to drown out all the chaos right now it’s completely understandable. Books have this remarkable way of taking us out of our reality and transporting us to the one that we temporarily need. Sometimes it’s also just good to take a break from all the noise on the TV, radio and social media and finding something that can reach you on a different level or make you laugh when you really need it. You can also go grab copies of my books on Amazon if you haven’t already.
I hope that everyone stays safe and is smart in these current times. Help those who need it. Sometimes even the smallest thing can mean a lot to someone. Support your local businesses and your communities. We’re gonna get through this. Until next time…
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