Monday, April 1, 2013

eReading Book Club Style

Hey friends,
It's the first day of April...and I'm just wondering how the heck this year is zipping by so quickly. I know it's moving faster than normal because I'm behind on the stack of TBR (to-be-read) books that I've accumulated.

Looking at that stack of paperbacks was bad enough, but I know that I also have a virtual stack on my Kindle Fire begging for attention, too.

I did reshuffle the order of things recently to make time to blurb another author's book recently. I'm glad I did because I fell in love with Cole and Liza in THE PRACTICE PROPOSAL by Tracy March. It's a quick read and since today is opening season for baseball it's kind of good timing to share this super love story between a hunky pro baseball player (not so unlike that handsome Michael Morse) and the girl that had a school girl crush on him back in the day. I do love a reunion romance but this one brings so much more to the table, including a really fun bake-off scene that you're sure to enjoy.

THE PRACTICE PROPOSAL leapt out on release day and quickly hit the top 100 on Barnes and Noble. This book is only available digitally....so it got to me to wondering...

Does your book club only read books available in traditional paperback/hard cover or have you embraced the digital age and are finding new authors through your kindle and nook choices?

Order your copy of Tracy March's THE PRACTICE PROPOSAL....you can see part of my quote heree on the cover.
Enjoy!


















Read. Relax. Repeat with Novels by Nancy Naigle
Adams Grove Novels
Sweet Tea and Secrets
Out of Focus
Wedding Cake and Big Mistakes - coming July 9 - Pre-order now
Pecan Pie and Deadly Lies - coming soon - Pre-order now
Mint Juleps and Justice - coming in 2014

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Marching toward Spring

I'm so ready for warmer weather and now that March is here I'm spending more time with my recliner pushed up next to the window in the bright sunny spot of my office and taking some 'me-time' with a good book. 
Sunshine + Stories = Smiles!

~WELCOME SPRING~

What's your favorite Spring color?


Sunday, February 17, 2013

Book Club Recommendations - February 2013

Hey friends - 
I wanted to share a couple of new releases with you. As you probably know, I'm part of a group of five authors that write different types of romance and suspense. We tag our books as:

Romance and Suspense...any way you like it!

New releases from our team.

Adrienne Giordano released THE CHASE - a novella available in all digital formats and just 99cents.   Nook Version   Kindle Version

In this novella, hard-driving attorney Jo Pomeroy is as determined as she is sexy—in other words, a major pain in NYPD Sergeant Gabe Townsend’s butt. Working together on a high-profile task force charged with busting sales of counterfeit goods has been rocky from the start. And Jo’s penchant for trouble is as difficult to ignore as her spectacular legs.

The world of knock-offs isn’t as frivolous as it appears. The purses are fake, but the danger is all too real—and Jo seems hell-bent on putting herself in the middle of it. Her investigations have uncovered valuable leads for Gabe’s team, but they’ve also drawn the wrong kind of attention.

Now, she’s on the radar of a mysterious smuggler not afraid to use violence to evade the law. At the risk of their lives—and their hearts—Gabe and Jo must find him before he finds them.


Also just released::
Tracey Devlyn released Checkmate, My Lord - another fabulous NEXUS series book. (A Lady's Revenge was Book One)  She writes an amazing regency thriller - this ain't your momma's historical. Available in print / digital.

A desperate mother falls in love with the spymaster she's forced to betray.
THE STAKES ARE HIGH, THE PLAYERS IN POSITION...
Catherine Ashcroft leads a quiet life caring for her precocious seven-year-old daughter, until a visitor delivers a startling ultimatum. She will match wits with the enigmatic Earl of Somerton, and it's not just her heart that's in danger.

HUGS AND HAPPY READING!

Monday, February 11, 2013

Book Clubs - A fun February Project

Just not sure what to read next? Being a southern girl I love looking to the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA)  to see what they recommend. I almost always discover a new gem.

http://www.authorsroundthesouth.com/bookshelf

This month I have the great honor of having Sweet Tea and Secrets grace that page with lots of other fabulous books, like one of my favorite authors - Mary Alice Monroe.

With Valentine's Day around the corner why not challenge all your book-loving friends to go old-school and decorate paper valentine's for each other this year. It'll be big fun...trust me. If you're just too darn busy, buy a box of pre-made ones and pick out the perfect ones for your girls. It's the thought that counts.



And...to put you in the mood...here's a link from the Huffington Post of some funny cards.

Have a fabulous February!
Nancy

Friday, November 23, 2012

Authors at your Book Club Meeting

Is it your month to plan the book club program or evening?

Trying to think of something new and exciting to make it memorable?

Why not include an author chat?

Many authors will jump at the chance to do a conference call or Skype call with your book club, and many will even send along some swag (bookmarks, pens, fun stuff to give away) to add to the fun.

How to find an author? You could always start with the website. There is generally contact information and media information there. Finding local authors is always exciting. If you're in the south, the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) has a special program that lists authors by state in their "Authors 'Round The South" program at this link --> http://stars.authorsroundthesouth.com/author 

Another website that includes authors willing to travel, or chat with your clubs is BookClubReading.com 

I'd love to hear about your book club events --- stop by and share your stories or email them to me and I'll post them here on the blog.
Hugs and happy reading.
Nancy

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Adorable Thanksgiving Project


SOME FUN PROJECTS ARE WORTH A SECOND POST -- THIS IS ONE OF THEM
Whether your hosting a book club meeting in the next week or so -- or just looking for a fun place-setting for your Thanksgiving dining table, this is an easy project that will get lots of smiles.

It was from the grocery store chain FOOD LION. Gobbler Cookies
What you'll need::

  • Nutter Butter Cookies (this will be the body on your turkey)
  • Fudge Stripe Cookies (this makes his pretty tail!)
  • Small Pretzel Knots or Choc Covered Flipz (his feet!)
  • Candy Corn (for the beak)
  • Gummy Worms (for the gobbler!)
  • Almond Slivers (for his spiky hair)
  • Small Choc Chips (for the eyes)
  • and white icing to hold it all together


Look at the picture and then get creative!!

Friday, October 5, 2012

October - easy centerpiece

Now this looks simple...but it's the process that I thought was really cool, and I got this on good authority from Miss Erma who happens to be my Ruritan heroine. She's such a nice lady and she makes the best 7-layer cake you've ever eaten, while always having creative cool ideas for centerpieces.

Did you know that all you have to do is slice a little circle from the top of a small pumpkin ---  no scooping out the goop --- then slide your flowers into place. The goopy-seedy middle actually will keep your flowers looking fresh. What do you know?

In the arrangement below there's a variety of mums, sweet williams, marigolds and even a sprig of rosemary for a fun and easy low cost centerpiece.


What do you think?


10/10/2012:: This just in! Debbie Spore Simpson from Tennessee shared her creation with us. She used a gourd instead of a pumpkin, but it's the same premise! Hers is absolutely stunning!!  Send me your pictures and I'll post them here, too! Hugs~Photo: 4H project complete. I used fall squash instead of the miniature pumpkins. Thanks so much for sharing.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Book Club Preferences - Print vs Digital

Have you selected the Montlake Romance release of SWEET TEA AND SECRETS for your book club read of the month? Now available in print, digital and audio, too. If your an Amazon Prime member you can get your kindle version for free.

Does your book club prefer one format over the other, or is it a mix? It's interesting to watch the rapid growth of digital publishing, and the shifting attitudes about reading devices versus holding a paper book in your hands.

I like the fact that we have options. In some cases, the digital option gives us a great way to sample new authors in a less expensive way. I'm hearing more and more that people are balancing both digital and paper formats in their personal reading habits based on what's going in their life (traveling, reading on the run, budget) and that's pretty cool.

One thing that my author friends and I've heard is the disappointment in not being able to get your digital books signed , or going to book signings in a bookstore only to feel like you have to apologize for buying the digital copy instead of the print book.

I am here to tell you that we appreciate you buying our books no matter what format you prefer.
If you purchased a digital copy of any of my books, you can still get an autograph. You can send me a SASE to Nancy Naigle ~ PO BOX 723 ~ Emporia, VA 23847 and I'll happily send you a KEEPER KASE card that has the book cover on the front and a personalized autograph on the back. These cards are the brainchild of my author friend, Dianna Love, and they are really becoming popular. They are in a handy 4x6 size so you can collect them in a standard photo album.

If your book club would like autographed cards to distribute on your book night ... just let me know. I'd be happy to send enough for everyone in the group, and I'll even personalize them.
Hugs and happy reading~

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Braggin' on the Book Club Babes Scrapbook

Hi friends,
You might remember me mentioning an amazing group of ladies I had the pleasure of visiting back in September 2011 when they read Sweet Tea and Secrets as their book of the month. They have a tradition of creating a scrapbook page for each book they read. The scrapbook is amazing. I could have snuggled down and just read that for a whole afternoon! They gave me permission to share some of the pages with you here. So...enjoy!






Are you inspired to give it a try? I hope so. You could even take your 12 fav books and create a calendar for the following year as a book club girl holiday gift.

I'm headed back to Suffolk at the end of February for book club night. It's such an honor that they picked my second Adams Grove Novel ~ Out of Focus as their February book. Can't wait to see what they say and create for this story!

I think scrapbooking is a great way to memorialize all the books your club reads. Sandy is the "keeper of the album" for the Book Club Babes and she creates ALL the pages. She's amazing. You might decide to rotate that responsibility or even create the page as part of the gathering :)

Happy Book Clubbing :)
Nancy

Monday, January 30, 2012

2012 - Book Club Fun

Most of the book clubs I've chatted with set their reading lists pretty far in advance. That's nice because it really does give you lead time to come up with fun themes and activities to go with the meeting and keep them fun.

The Suffolk Book Club Babes read my Sweet Tea and Secrets in September 2011. I loved having the opportunity to join them as they discussed the book and shared a night of book club fun. This group has a couple of awesome traditions that you might want to try.

#1 They rotate the meeting to different members homes and they serve a full meal. Whoever is hosting does the main dish and other members bring sides or desserts.
#2 This is my favorite part. They do a scrapbook page for each book they read. What an amazing memory book of their time together. Sandy was nice enough to share some of the scrapbook pages with me to share with you.

BE INSPIRED!!
I'll be posting them next...so come back and check them out!

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Setting a better pace in 2012

Okay, so I have to admit that I almost fell out of my chair when I realized the last time I posted to my Book Club Planning for Book Club Fun blog since September! That was pretty poor planning on my part.

I'm turning over a new leaf in 2012 and will be posting once a month to include ideas and recipes and fun stuff from y'all that will hopefully help make your book club meetings memorable.

So here we go.
Nancy

Friday, September 2, 2011

Book Club Babes : Suffolk VA

I've been invited to join the Book Club Babes for their September meeting. I can't wait!
Thanks for choosing Sweet Tea and Secrets for your book this month.
See you soon!
Nancy

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Novel Night Book Club

Thanks to the gals that get together for Novel Night the second Wednesday of every month. Sweet Tea and Secrets was their book of the month for August 2011 and I joined them for some fun via telephone during their meeting.

This creative bunch had a blind sweet tea taste test...
McDonalds -vs- Hardee's -vs- Chick-Fil-A ...
no homemade sweet tea in the bunch with these working girls and that really tickled my funny bone.
They did promise to use Pearl's Perfect Sweet Tea recipe someday.

Thanks again for the invite, Novel Night friends. I sure enjoyed our time together and really appreciate your support of my debut novel. I'll keep you posted on the November release of the second story with ties to Adams Grove...OUT OF FOCUS.

I'll try to figure out how to podcast the call by the next time we get together in December.

Hugs and happy reading~
Nancy

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Sweet Tea and Secrets - Summer Jacket

We just released a 2nd edition of Sweet Tea and Secret to correct a few minor editorial issues and while we were at it.....we refined the cover too.

You'll notice good old Clyde made the back this time :) We love him.

I hope you'll help me continue to spread the word about SWEET TEA AND SECRETS and the other novels that will be coming soon with ties to the small town of Adams Grove.

If you're not sure how YOU can help....check out the SPREAD THE WORD tab on my website at www.NancyNaigle.com You can help all your favorite authors get attention for your favorite books.

Don't forget, too, if you have a book club (formal or just your best girlfriends planning to get together) and would like some treats from me to go with your books....let me know. I'd be happy to send you a package to enhance the Sweet Tea and Secrets fun.
Hugs and happy reading,
Nancy

Saturday, June 25, 2011

A summer treat

June is when we all think about all those years as kids when we had the summer off.
No matter where you are the temperatures are rising and we all want to spend a little less time in the kitchen.

Here's a couple options for a cooler meeting:
  • Serve southern iced tea for a change. You can get Pearl's Perfect Sweet Tea recipe here
  • Find some good old fashioned ice trays and pop a piece of fresh fruit in each divet....add water and freeze for a beauiful garnish to your refreshments.
  • Pinwheels - Easy as can be and yummy, too. Use large flour tortillas and spread a generous serving of your favorite filling (pimento cheese, tuna salad, egg salad) roll and slice into colorful bite size tidbits.
  • Watergate salad - Whip up a lovely green (hey, it matches my book cover!) treat by mixing a tub of cool whip, pistachio pudding packet dry, can of crushed pineapple drained, marshmallows and chopped nuts if you like. waaalaaaa....pretty and delightfully refreshing.
What are your favorite quick and easy get together dishes??

Monday, May 2, 2011

May all your books be brightly colored and enjoyed!

Greetings book club friends:
It's official. My debut novel, Sweet Tea and Secrets, is out. The cover is perfect for a May release. Bright, fresh and just a feel-good kind of look.


Did you know that authors have very little say in the matter of titles and covers? It's true. One story sticks with me about an adorable cover with a basset hound on it. I loved it. The book was wonderful, too...BUT the dog in the book was a boxer. Huh? I guess boxers don't sell books quite as well as those adorable droopy ears and eyes. Marketing and sales professionals drive features like title and cover. I have to say Turquoise Morning Press did a wonderful job in both of those areas. The original title of my book was Pearls of Wisdom. When you read the book, you'll probably know why, but I think the new title fits the story even better.

Can't wait to hear what you think.

May all your May reads be brightly colored and filled with smiles, tears, and memories.
Hugs~
Nancy

Sunday, March 27, 2011

It's April!

It's hard for me to believe we're already a quarter of the way through 2011! Time is zipping by and that makes our get together's that much more important.

So, it's April. The Cadbury bunny is bwak-bwok-bwaaaking on the TV between every other commercial and that makes me think about Easter eggs. For April's get together how about a smorgasbord of anything that has eggs in it in hors d'oeuvres size. 

  • Deviled Eggs
  • Quiche
  • Cake (hooray!)
  • Souffle
  • Meringue
  • Potato Salad with the pretty hard boiled egg slices in a flower shape on top!
Yeah, not as hard as it first sounds is it? It'll be interesting to see what everyone pulls together.
Eggs-actly ;)

Now....tell me what kind of fun you have planned!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

March Book Club

Start now and you'll be ready for the holidays with a perfect gif for your book club friends.

As books are selected for your get-togethers, print a copy of the front cover from your favorite online site .
In December, gather them and paste in random angles and you'll have an adorable collage that you can turn into a holiday card for the group.

Don't you just love cutting and pasting :) AND with technology these days you can craft one and make color copies on cardstock -- waalaaa! A personalized gift.

Finally, March-ing into Spring....
Want to put a couple books on your list for this summer?? Two  friends of mine have books coming out. I was a beta reader on both of them .... trust me, you'll love them.
  • GIRL THREE by Tracy March coming in June   (Big city thriller)
  • BEACH RENTAL by Grace Greene coming in July    (Outer Banks love story)

Monday, February 28, 2011

Kindle Reader Cover Fun

What a fun idea. Did you see the DIY Kindle cover on the BookTrib site?  Check it out and this one too! http://booksprung.com/want-to-make-your-own-ereader-cover-here-are-50-ideas-to-get-you-started

I'll admit I sprung for a leather OBERON DESIGN cover when I first got my Kindle. I went for the one with the tree on it. It's so pretty. BUT, if you aren't up to something quite that snazzy (okay I can be a bit of a spoiled reader, I admit it!) then this DIY is absolutely adorable and fun to do.

What?? Wait! You don't know about BookTrib? Oh honey, you are missing out. It's like a breath of fresh, happy air. Bright, colorful and full of the latest book news. http://www.booktrib.com/ Visit today and join for free.

Hugs~
Oh...and if you take this little DIY project to heart...I'd love for you to send me pics of your design. :)