Monday, September 22, 2008

Loving Lisa Kleypas!

In case you haven't yet heard, Ana and Thea from The Book Smugglers blog are celebrating the works of author Lisa Kleypas all this week on their blog. So far I have only read Ms. Kleypas' contemporary romances, Sugar Daddy and Blue Eyed Devil, and both were phenomenal novels. The next novel in this contemporary world is titled Smooth Talking Stranger and will feature Jack Travis, who appeared briefly in Sugar Daddy and then more prominently in Blue Eyed Devil wherein he hired his younger sister and the heroine of Blue Eyed Devil in his firm. Here's a look at the newly revealed bookcover of Smooth Talking Stranger, revealed for the very first time yesterday by Ana and Thea on The Book Smugglers blog.  And a book blurb, also supplied by Ana and Thea... and was also on Ramblings on Romance several weeks ago. 


Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas 
(March 2009, St. Martin Press)

Jack Travis leads the uncomplicated life of a millionaire Texas playboy. He makes no commitments, he loves many women, he lives for pleasure. But no one has ever truly touched his heart or soul. Until one day, a woman appears on his doorstep with fury on her face and a baby in her arms. It seems Jack is the father and this woman is the baby's aunt. The real mother has abandoned the child to her more responsible sister. And now, Jack is being called upon to take responsibility for the first time in his life.


You can also read an excerpt of Smooth Talking Stranger on Lisa Kleypas' website HERE.  Ooo la la! I want this book yesterday! 

Be sure to visit The BookSmugglers all this week as Ana and Thea (and I believe a brave DARE guest reviewer... ) will be reviewing and discussing various novels of Ms. Kleypas. They also have an interview and book giveaway planned toward the end of the week. Don't miss it!


How I came to read Lisa Kleypas. 
i.e., How I came to Love Lisa Kleypas! 

As I've mentioned in the past (see my very first blog post HERE), I only started reading romance novels almost exactly two years ago from today's date! After a long hiatus from reading recreationally-- aside from baby books, cookbooks and magazines, that is-- I started reading Young Adult fiction, starting with the Harry Potter novels in the summer of 2003 (read aloud to my girls) right up to Twilight and New Moon which I read back to back in September 2006. Immediately after devouring the two Twilight novels, I fell in love with the romanticized vampire and knew I needed to read adult fiction with vampires as not only the good guy, but the love interest, too. After a little research on Amazon.com, I discovered paranormal romance. Imagine! An entire subgenre of romance with 100s, if not 1000s of books to choose from!

I instantly became a paranormal romance junkie, with a particular addiction to vampires. J.R. Ward became my favorite author and I was thrilled when I found out she would be doing a book signing in my local Barnes & Noble on the release day of Lover Revealed in early March of 2007. While in the bookstore that night, one of the employees was handing out a B&N newsletter and schedule of upcoming events for the month and I learned that author Lisa Kleypas would be visiting the same B&N a few weeks later. I recognized her name as a prominent romance author and even took pride in myself for knowing she wrote historical romances! About a week or so later I found myself back in my Barnes & Noble standing in front of the display of Sugar Daddy novels silently debating whether or not I should buy and read the book just so I could go to a book signing for an author I barely knew. I mean, I liked the idea of meeting another successful author, but I wasn't really into historical romances. And now this latest novel is this author's first contemporary romance? And it's hardcover? Nah, too many risks, I thought. But... Lisa Kleypas is a big name in romance, and how often does one get the opportunity to meet not one, but two successful and well known authors in her very own Barnes & Noble? Right? As I stood there debating, an employee of B&N who is also a romance reader, remembered me from Ward's signing and convinced me to buy the hardcover copy of Sugar Daddy

A few days later I picked up the book and started reading. At first, I was thinking that contemporaries are just not my thing. I had enough strife in my own young life, did I really want to read about someone else's struggles? I wanted the extreme escapism I found in paranormals. But then, before I knew it, I was completely sucked in to Sugar Daddy and the story of Liberty Jones. I laughed, I cried, I got nervous, excited and mad. I ended up devouring it even more readily than some of my favorite paranormals and Sugar Daddy became one of my favorite reads of 2007. 

A few days later, I attended Lisa Kleypas' book signing and was so utterly impressed by her. She was poised, articulate, friendly, and really down to earth. Ms. Kleypas even made me teary eyed when she talked about her passion for writing romance stories ever since she was 12 years old and again when she shared a personal anecdote in order to show why reading romance is important and comforting for us. I walked in to that signing as the newest fan of Lisa Kleypas the author and walked out of that signing as the newest fan of Lisa Kleypas the person.   

Here is a picture of me with Lisa Kleypas at the Sugar Daddy book signing at my local Barnes & Noble in March 2007.
My hair was really long then. A few months after this picture was taken, in August 2007,  I got it cut and donated 12 inches of my hair to Locks of Love.  I had previously donated 12 inches in August 2005, too! Just a little tidbit about me. ;) 


If you haven't already read Lisa Kelypas' contemporary romances, you really should. Right now you can buy Sugar Daddy in hardcover at amazon.com at the Bargain Price of $5.99! Go HERE. It is an A read for me.

Of course, you're going to want to read Blue Eyed Devil, so you may as well order it as well. Blue Eyed Devil is an A+ read for me and currently my favorite novel of 2008.

22 comments:

  1. Ah, Lisa Kleypas. :-) She was one of the first authors I read when I started reading romances. I read all her historicals but somehow never made the transition to her contemporaries ... don't know why?

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  2. My friend Barbara is a HUGE fan of Lisa Kleypas's! That is really neat you've met her.

    And I remember when you donated your hair in 2007 :). That is a really great thing.

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  4. Thanks for pimping the week! : )

    and I can't believe you haven't read any of her historicals! *thud*

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  5. Jace :: You should try her contemporaries, starting with Sugar Daddy. I think you might like them.

    Amy C :: I've been really lucky over the last year or two as so many fantastic authors have come through my area. It's really so much fun meeting them! :)

    Ana :: You're welcome! You and Thea have amazing features on your blog, and since Sugar Daddy and Blue Eyed Devil are two of my absolute favorite novels--especially Blue Eyed Devil, I couldn't help but help promote your Lisa Kleypas week and share my thoughts on Lisa's awesomeness, too! :)

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  6. Oh I LOVE Lisa Kleypas!!! I was just about to do a post when I say yours.

    She is my all time favorite!!!!! Lucky you, got to go to a book signing! Ugh. I never know where she is going to be, hopefully I will see her at RWA next year. I have ALL (and I mean all) of her books. Her historicals are the best! Man, I have been reading her stories for what seems like froever.

    I'm dying to read Seduce Me At Sunrise only a few more days :)

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  7. I was just finishing writing my love letter, I mean, my review of Blue-Eyed Devil. I thought about you quite a lot whilst doing it.

    and Hardy - my top 1 hero of 2008 - actually he is tied with another one.... ; )

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  8. Barbara :: I hope you still post a Loving Lisa Kleypas post on your blog, too! I'd love to read your thoughts, I'll gush WITH you about her contemporaries, and I'm sure get INSPIRED to read her historicals based on your thoughts!

    Ana :: LOL Love letter, eh? That's part of the reason I have such difficulty writing reviews for my A+ books. I'm afraid of sounding like a bumbling gushing fangirl. I can't keep my thoughts coherent and objective. I end up just rambling on and on about how much I lurve it without completing my thoughts on WHY I love it. LOL

    I almost picked Hardy for my hut. It's just that I love, love, love him for Haven, and can't picture him with me. LOL

    Who is he tied with?

    And I have the entire Wallflower series, plus Mine Till Midnight on my TBR shelf. I need to do a Lisa Kleypas marathon and read them all in one shot!

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  9. He is tied with Meljean's Jake. what.a.hero.

    *sighs*

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  10. Ah, Christine, I could not agree with you more. Lisa is just so consistently fantastic.

    I'm with you. Sugar Daddy was my 2007 best book of the year, and Blue Eyed Devil will be my 2008 Book of the year. I've read some other stuff that I loved this year, but nothing I've connected with like BED. I literally sobbed reading that book.

    I'm SO sorry that I'm going to miss the big Book Smugglers event. I've got my huge event that day. I can hardly wait for Smooth Talking Stranger.

    I just think Lisa is one of the best voices in romance right now.

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  11. Check it out! You're right, we have parallel journies, almost. Isn't it great that there are so many wonderful books just waiting for us to read? I love it. I actually never read Stephanie Meyer. I guess YA would be a bigger dare for me. You are so adventurous, though, to go to the signing and just jump in like that.

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  12. I want to red these books, I so do, but what keeps me from it is they sound kind of depressing. And I'm rarely up for a depressing anything, unless a good bit of humor is sprinkled in.

    I may be one of the few left who haven't read the books though. :D

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  13. O. M. G. You HAVE to read her backlist!! The Wallflowers are good, but her backlist just rocks like nothing else! And for the record, my Nick is better than Kristie's Derek. Just puttin' it out there now.

    Great picture, BTW! And thank you for donating your hair to Locks of Love :) Cancer and stroke are my 2 pet causes.

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  14. *gasp* I never knew this! How wonderful! Both the mini on Lisa, the entering of romance novels and your hair! I've decided, I'll do the same with mine. :) Hair, that is.

    I already cried meeting Lisa Kleypas this year. Well, teared up. I'll cry next year. After the books. :)

    Call you soon, I hope. *hugs*

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  15. What a great story!!
    I am too jealous for words.
    Nice hair :P

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  16. I love the story how you came to (read and love) Lisa Kleypas! Really neat. And that's a nice pic. :)

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  17. ::::sigh:::: Lisa Kleyplas is amazing. I've read some of her historicals and although I have both 'Surgar Daddy' and 'Blue Eyed Devil' I have yet to pick them up to read. Lately I seem to be gravitating towards dark and lust filled romances as you well know :).

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  18. Ana :: Ahh... Jake. He was uber adorable in Demon Night. I can't wait to read his story. Just five more weeks to go!

    MK :: It looks like we're on the exact same page when it comes to Sugar Daddy and Blue Eyed Devil. Good luck with your event this week!

    CJ :: I read the first two Twilight books way before all this huge hype that's been going on for this series in the last year. I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much if I started reading it now. I think all the craziness just sort of zaps the freshness out of the series. I could probably think of a good YA novel to dare you with . . . ;)

    Lori :: LOL I know! I will at least get to the Wallflower series (because I actually own those)... and eventually get to the rest of Lisa's backlist.

    Thanks so much for the comment on Locks of Love, too. It is a great cause. In 2007, my oldest daughter and I did it together on the same day--both donating 12 inches. It was a great feeling to donate, but even greater to have done it with my daughter. My youngest simply won't part with her locks just yet. Maybe soon...

    Alys :: You should definitely donate your locks!! You're hair is so beautiful... and really long already. It's an act that helps ease the emotional well being of someone who is suffering the debilitating effects of a serious disease. You'll be happy you did it.

    KB :: I think you and I were newly made acquaintances at the time of Lisa's signing. Otherwise I would have invited you to meet me there. Sorry. :(

    Taja :: Thanks! :)

    VampFanGirl :: I totally get the gravitation to the dark and lustful. It's a mesmerizing pull. If you manage to pull yourself away, though... pick up Sugar Daddy and Blue Eyed Devil. I'd love to hear your thoughts on them.

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  19. Here! Here! I have yet to read a book by LK that I haven't adored, that hasn't filled me with warm fuzzies. Her contemporaries are AMAZING stories of transformation and strength.

    Guess where she lives? ;)

    Ana- Jake is MINE. Hands off.

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  20. And you should read her historicals. They don't have the depth of the contemporaries, but they represent the best of the Regency Historical Genre. Lawless Lilly Lawson and Lillian Bowman are especially inspiring heroines. I heart her.

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  21. wow, that is very cool! I havent read Lisa Kleypas yet, she is on my TBR list.
    http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/

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  22. Ciara :: I definitely plan on reading LK's historicals. I'm going to start with the Wallflower series since that's what I have already. And Mine Till Midnight, too!

    LOL In the NW area, I presume?

    Nadia :: I highly recommend Lisa Kleypas' contemporary romances, even if that's not your preferred genre. I think her historicals are equally well loved by fans.

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