What have I been reading lately? Well, it might sound odd, but my own work. Not because I have any kind of vanity about it, but out of necessity.
You see, I've been working on book #6 in my Hot Ice series and an old location from book #1 has been revisited by new characters and I had to get my facts right. It's a beautiful island retreat in the Gulf of Mexico. A private, beach side villa with luxury furnishing, brightly flowered gardens and spectacular views.
Since it features so heavily in Hired, I knew that if I didn't use similar descriptions in my WIP it just wouldn't have the right feel to it. So I've been saying hi to old characters, re-reading their sexy antics in the surf and willing them to get together at the end - which of course I know they do!
I have also been re-re-reading my next release, which is actually a trilogy written with Natalie Dae and will be published later this month under the name Harlem Dae. Sexy as Hell is self-published which means the re-reads are multiplied tenfold as paranoia for spelling mistakes and grammatical slips really sets in, and at nearly 300k for the three books, this is proving to be quite a task and taking up ALL of my time. But at least the weather is nice, and sitting in the garden with the scent of flowers and just the bumble bees for company is proving to be rather a treat.
I'm going on holiday with Mr H soon, we adore visiting Spain, which is only a short hop from the UK and I get to practice my Spanish - I'm not nearly as good as I'd like to be but I give it a go. I have several books waiting to be read on a lounger by the pool, including a re-read of The Time Traveller's Wife which is one of my all time favourites. I just adore Henry, I think the magical realism of the plot works beautifully, and the romance between Henry and Clare makes me cry and sigh. A wonderful story to immerse yourself in, and if you've never taken the time do check it out...
Thanks for stopping by and happy summer reading!
Lily x
good to know about your hockey series. i don't follow sports in real life, but for some reason i enjoy sports movies & tv shows. the combo of hockey & sex is a turn on. probably because i'm Canadian, eh ;) i never read the Time Traveler's Wife but saw the movie. i should add the book to my reading list. thanks for the reminder. good luck with all your reading. as someone who writes mainly short stories i've often wondered about the process for writing longer works & especially serial fiction. do you use some special software or a big white board to keep all the characters etc straight? (urrr. kinky, i mean;)
ReplyDeleteAmanda, Oh, the hockey player I'm writing about now is Canadian, he's HOT!
DeleteTime Traveller's Wife, def worth reading, even if you've seen the film.
No special software, just my brain when writing long works and serials, though I do use the comment boxes in Word to leave notes to myself. But of course, if one book is published and the next refers to it, then I have to stay loyal to whatever is already out in the world.
Thanks for commenting :-)
sounds divine.
Deletealso the author of The Time Traveller's Wife has a new book out that sounds great. it's called Raven Girl.
DeleteYes, it does seem that most of my writing is of my own stuff, or of authors I read on ERWA, but it's mostly a matter of reading for edits of some sort, Not quite like a lounge by a pool..
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your holiday, Lily. It'll be hot. Say hi to Barcelona for me.
Damn. Meant 'most of my reading' is of my own stuff.
ReplyDeleteI like to re-read books years after I read it originally. What I hated in high school I love as an adult. It is amazing how 30+ years of life experience changes a book.
ReplyDeleteHi, Lily,
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how much one's perspectives change upon re-reading - even re-reading your own work. I'm working on a prequel to a story I wrote just a few years ago, and I am having to work very hard to achieve something like the same tone.
Recently I reread a book (3 by Julie Hinden) that I had reviewed in 2009 for ERWA. It has been reprinted and I was asked to review it again for Erotica Revealed. I didn't re-read my original review until after I'd finished the book. When I did, I was intrigued by how different my reactions were, even though I didn't really remember the book in detail from my first read.
Have a wonderful time in Spain, btw!
Lily, reading in English between bouts of practicing your Spanish should be muy interesante. I hope the setting enhances your reading experience. :)
ReplyDelete