A Resort Chat w/ Suzanne Selfors

The Book Resort is thrilled to have the charming Suzanne Selfors.

Ready? Let's go!

Me: What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

SS: I'm writing my 3rd teen novel. The working title is, The Adventures of Alice Amorous. It's a comedy about the daughter of a romance writer.


Me: Spiderman or Superman:

SS: Superman. Spiders are creepy.

Me: Wonder Woman or Batgirl:

SS: My boobs aren't big enough to be Wonder Woman. Besides, Batgirl has a far better costume.


Me: Chunky or Smooth:

SS: That's kind of a personal question. I'm feeling a bit chunky at the moment.


Me: Favorite flavor ice cream:

SS: Coconut.

Me: Favorite ice cream topping:

SS: Coconut doesn't need topping.

Me: Subway or Taxi:

SS: Taxi. We don't have subways in my neck of the woods.

Me: Broadway Show or Movie Theater:

SS: Hmmm. Broadway show, but I'm real picky about musicals.

Me: TiVo or DVR:

SS: I can't figure out how to work either.

Me: Favorite vacation place:

SS: Hawaii. I don't care which island. Just give me that perfect weather, a good book, and some coconut ice cream.

Me: Next vacation destination:

SS: Vancouver Canada . Love bike riding in Stanley Park .

Me: Favorite NYC hotspot:

SS: Last time I was in NYCity, during my college years, I hung out at Studio 54. Uh oh. Now you know that I'm old. Believe me, it was the hotspot back then.

Me: Guilty Pleasure:

SS: People Magazine

Me: Good luck charm:

SS: My dog, Skylos.

Me: When you were a little girl, you thought you would grow up to be a…

SS: Marine Biologist. But I get seasick.

Me: Last thing bought at the mall:

SS: A "Lucky" t-shirt.

Me: Item on your grocery list:

SS: Strawberries. It's that time of year.

Me: French fries or Onion Rings:

SS: French Fries.

Me: Pizza: New York or Chicago

SS: New York. It's gotta be foldable.

Me: Midnight snack:

SS: Cereal. Most every night.

Me: Bookmark or dog ear?

SS: Dog ear. And sometimes I even drop them into the bathtub. Not on purpose.

Me: Read with dustjacket or remove it?

SS: Seems to always fall off on its own.

Me: Ocean, Lake , Desert, Mountain:

SS: Ocean.

Me: Favorite book:

SS: A Confederancy of Dunces.

Me: Item you can't live without:

SS: Lipstick. Seriously, I'm so pale I look dead without it.

Me: Who is your favorite writer that most people have never heard of?

SS: Me.

Me: Where do you like to write your books (bed ~ coffee shop ~ an office)?

SS: I mostly write in coffee shops. I'm kind of a caffeine addict. Okay, I am a caffeine addict.

Me: Describe your ideal place to write:

SS: See above.

Me: What are you reading @ the moment?

SS: I just finished Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. I got an ARC. I don't know what I'll read next.

Me: Where do you usually read?

SS: In bed.

Me: Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time?

SS: No. My brain doesn't work that way.

Me: Do you read nonfiction in a different way or place than you read fiction?

SS: Of course. Isn't all nonfiction read on the toilet?


Thank you so much, Suzanne, for the fun chat!

Check out my Coffeehouse Angel review.

Check out Suzanne Selfors website!

A Resort Chat w/ Megan Crewe

The Book Resort is thrilled to have the charming Megan Crewe
over for a chat.

Ready? Let's go!

Me: What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

MC: You can expect more ghosts from me, but not necessarily Cass's sort of ghosts. :)

Me: Spiderman or Superman:

MC: Spiderman--he always seemed more real, as a person. (But then, I guess Superman technically isn't human anyway, right?)

Me: Wonder Woman or Batgirl:

MC: I don't know much about Wonder Woman, but I know Batgirl was smart and a librarian, so I'll give her my vote.

Me: Chunky or Smooth:

MC: Smooth. Chunky is yummy but gets stale too quickly!

Me: Favorite flavor ice cream:

MC: Maple walnut. Like any good Canadian, I love my maple. :)

Me: Favorite ice cream topping:

MC: Dark chocolate syrup.

Me: Subway or Taxi:

MC: Subway (I don't like traffic).

Me: Broadway Show or Movie Theater:

MC: I love them both, but I can usually only afford movies.

Me: TiVO or DVR:

MC: I don't have either.

Me: Favorite vacation place:

MC: Anywhere with lots of history and beautiful scenery.

Me: Next vacation destination:

MC: If all goes well, Japan!

Me: Favorite NYC hotspot:

MC: I don't know NYC well enough to have one.

Me: Guilty Pleasure:

MC: Doritos, KFC french fries and gravy, and America's Next Top Model.

Me: Good luck charm:

MC: I make my own luck. :)

Me: When you were a little girl, you thought you would grow up to be a….

MC: Veterinarian (that was before I realized that the sight of an animal in grave need of medical attention could make me faint).

Me: Last thing bought at the mall:

MC: A couple shirts, and sharpies for signing books.

Me: Item on your grocery list:

MC: Milk, every week. Cannot live without!

Me: French fries or Onion Rings:

MC: French fries win by an inch.

Me: Pizza: New York or Chicago?

MC: I don't know the difference. *hides* Best pizza I ever had was in Naples.

Me: Midnight snack:

MC: Ice cream.

Me: Bookmark or dog ear?

MC: I just memorize the page number I stopped at. But I do dog-ear pages I want to come back to in research books.

Me: Read with dustjacket or remove it?

MC: Read with--but usually I read paperbacks so it's not an issue.

Me: Ocean, Lake, Desert, Mountain:

MC: Ocean.

Me: Favorite book:

MC: The one that I've loved the longest is THE CHANGELING by Zilpha Keatley Snyder.

Me: Item you can't live without:

MC: At home, my computer. On the go, a pen and notebook.

Me: Who is your favorite writer that most people have never heard of?

MC: Zilpha Keatley Snyder. She wrote many great books and even won awards, yet she's hardly mentioned these days.

Me: What kid or teen books made a difference in your world growing up?

MC: THE CHANGELING made me feel that imagination could be a wonderful, productive thing, and that a shy girl like me could eventually come into my own. Roald Dahl's THE WITCHES taught me that even books don't always have happy endings, but if you look at them in the right way, they can still feel happy enough.

Me: Where do you like to write your books (bed ~ coffee shop ~ an office)?

MC: In my "office" (which is a third of my bedroom), sitting in my special writing chair, with my laptop.

Me: Describe your ideal place to write:

MC: If I could be anywhere, probably at a cabin in the woods somewhere. I love the writing retreats my critique group arranges--it's so peaceful and atmospheric.

Me: What are you reading @ the moment?

MC: SINGLING OUT THE COUPLES by Stella Duffy.

Me: Where do you usually read?

MC: I probably do most of my reading on the public transit (bus and subway) because that's when I have the most free time for it. But I also love reading in bed and have spent many a late night with an un-put-down-able book.

Me: Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time?

MC: No, I find it hard to pay proper attention to more than one book at once.

Me: Do you read nonfiction in a different way or place than you read fiction?

MC: I read narrative nonfiction (nonfiction that's written like a story) the same way as fiction. Nonfiction that's more about laying out the facts, I tend to only read if I'm researching, and so I often skim or skip parts and just read the bits that are relevant to what I need to know.


Thank you so much, Megan, for getting this done in a blink of an eye ; ). LOL!

Check out my Give Up the Ghost review.

Check out my Give Up the Ghost giveaway.

A Resort Chat w/ Tanya Egan Gibson

The Book Resort is thrilled to have the charming & delightful Tanya Egan Gibson over for a chat!

Ready? Let's go...


Me: What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

TEG: My next novel takes place in a theme park -- I don't want to say much more than that because stories kind of "deflate" in my head if I talk about them/write about them too much before they're completely formed. :-)


Me: Spiderman or Superman:

TEG: Got to say neither. You know who's an interesting character, though? Lex Luthor, in the SMALLVILLE retelling of Superman. Because he's a reluctant villain. I'm very interested in characters who *want* to be good but somehow just cannot be.

Me: Wonder Woman or Batgirl:

TEG: Wonder Woman. It was one of my favorite TV shows as a child in the 1970s. I thought Paradise Island (Wonder Woman's original woman-centric home, which happened to be located in The Bermuda Triangle) would be great place to be.

Me: Chunky or Smooth:

TEG: Smooth. Chunky is too much work.

Me: Favorite flavor ice cream:

TEG: Mexican Chocolate or banana. Preferably a scoop of both. I really don't like making choices.

Me: Favorite ice cream topping:

TEG: Hot fudge.

Me: Subway or Taxi:

TEG: Taxi.

Me: Broadway Show or Movie Theater:

TEG: Neither. Living room couch in front of TV loaded with shows we never get a chance to watch. (See below.)

Me: TiVo or DVR:

TEG: We have both, actually. We kind of like TV. A lot. But we don't have a lot of time, so we have to store everything until a later date when that time will magically appear. Which, so far, it hasn't.

Me: Favorite vacation place:

TEG: Hawaii. Or anywhere with a beach.

Me: Next vacation destination:

TEG: We just returned from two weeks in NY. It was wonderful, but after being in hotels that long, being *home* feels like a vacation. I don't even want to contemplate trying to pack up the kids' stuff, etc., for another vacation for quite a while!

Me: Favorite NYC hotspot:

TEG: My daughter's favorite place to visit in NYC: "The dinosaur museum" (Museum of Natural History).

Me: Guilty Pleasure:

TEG: Watching America's Next Top Model -- while eating bread pudding.

Me: Good luck charm:

TEG: My wonderful little girl.

Me: When you were a little girl, you thought you would grow up to be a….

TEG: ...person who talked to animals, like Doctor Doolittle (the Rex Harrison version, not the goofy Eddie Murphy one). Or a superhero. (See Wonder Woman, above.)

Me: Last thing bought at the mall:

TEG: Cute summer shirts for my cuddly one-year-old boy. I confess to having a baby clothing addiction.

Me: Item on your grocery list:

TEG: Half-and-half. I don't care if it has a billion calories and a quadrillion fat grams. Coffee isn't coffee without it.

Me: French fries or Onion Rings:

TEG: Onion rings, of the very crispy ilk.

Me: Pizza: New York or Chicago?

TEG: New York. No contest.

Me: Midnight snack:

TEG: Organic ice cream from locally-owned Three Twins Ice Cream.

Me: Bookmark or dog ear?

TEG: Dog ear. When a book looks used, it just looks more loved to me.

Me: Read with dustjacket or remove it?

TEG: They come off?

Me: Ocean, Lake, Desert, Mountain:

TEG: Ocean.

Me: Favorite book:

TEG: BEL CANTO, by Ann Patchett. I am in awe of what she does with Point of View, and it's a novel that has so much heart and is *so* human.

Me: Item you can't live without:

TEG: Computer.

Me: Who is your favorite writer that most people have never heard of?

TEG: Kim Culbertson, a YA writer (and friend), author of SONGS FOR A TEENAGE NOMAD.

Me: What kid or teen books made a difference in your world growing up?

TEG: I loved the Narnia books -- the idea of being able to walk through a closet into a secret land just fascinated me. And like many children, I was fascinated by the idea of being a child left alone/orphaned who has to find his/her way alone. I must have read A LITTLE PRINCESS, by Frances Hodgson Burnett, fifty times. I love the way books allow kids and teens to vicariously experience the fear/excitement/freedom of being on one's own without having to *actually* be in peril. Part of the paradox of *being* a child is that you want to take risks and feel safe at the same time.

Me: Where do you like to write your books (bed ~ coffee shop ~ an office)?

TEG: I write in bed or on the couch. Even when I have childcare, I leave the door open because I love hearing my kids' voices and because I want them to be able to see me even when I'm working.

Me: Describe your ideal place to write:

TEG: On a deck out by the beach. Coffee next to me, slight breeze carrying the scent of salt water. Gulls making those gull noises. Waves crashing.

Me: What are you reading @ the moment?

TEG: SUNNYSIDE, by Glen David Gold. It's just beautiful. Big and smart and I wish it would go on infinitely.

Me: Where do you usually read?

TEG: Wherever I can. Preferably, in bed or curled on the coach with family.

Me: Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time?

TEG: I usually am reading only one or two novels at a time, but I'll also have something nonfiction going (research for my next book) and a literary journal with poems and short stories.

Me: Do you read nonfiction in a different way or place than you read fiction?

TEG: Most of the nonfiction I read is for research. In that case, I do lots of annotating in the margins and/or take handwritten or typed notes as well. I rarely annotate when I'm reading fiction, unless I'm *re*-reading passages to analyze how an author accomplishes something specific.

Hurry! Grab a copy of How to Buy a Love of Reading!

Check out Tanya's awesome website @ http://www.tanyaegangibson.com/

A Resort Chat w/ Joy Preble

The Book Resort is thrilled to have debut author, Joy Preble here to chat! Dreaming Anastasia is out today so hurry & grab a copy!


Ready? Let's go...


Me: What are you working on now (If you can give us a hint!)
JP: Actually, I’ve completed (well, almost) two other novels. The first one is set here in Texas and I’ve been calling a story of love, faith, football, and the redemptive powers of a plate of double pecan waffles and hash browns. The other is the comic misadventures of a girl whose parents run a bakery. Her life gets thrown into chaos by her parents’ separation and her own very disastrous love life. Plus there’s pastry. Lots of it. Beyond that, I’d love to do a sequel or two to Dreaming Anastasia. I have lots more in store for the Anne/Ethan love story. And of course there are some plot threads left open at the end of DA. Not the least of which is the aftermath of Anne getting so much power. Possibly things turn a little darker…

Me: Spiderman or Superman:
JP: Spidey. Definitely. All that “With great power comes great responsibility.” Yup.

Me: Wonder Woman or Batgirl:
JP: Wonder Woman. I love it when she twirls!

Me: Chunky or Smooth:
JP: Smooth.

Me: Favorite flavor ice cream:
JP: Ben and Jerry’s Limited Edition Gingersnap. Oh my!

Me: Favorite ice cream topping:
JP: Hot fudge. Runner up: peanut butter

Me: Subway or Taxi:
JP: Taxi.

Me: Broadway Show or Movie Theater:
JP: Well, both. But if forced to choose, Movie Theater.

Me: TiVo or DVR:
JP: DVR.

Me: Favorite vacation place:
JP: Pacific Northwest

Me: Next vacation place:
JP: Hoping that it will be Ireland

Me: Favorite NYC hotspot:
JP: Magnolia Bakery for their cupcakes? Or I am behind the trend?

Me: Guilty pleasure:
JP: TLC reality shows like the “The Little Couple” which is set here in Houston . I keep hoping to see those two one of these days!

Me: Good luck charm:
JP: My old BTVS charm that’s on my key chain

Me: When you were a little girl, you though you would grow up to be a...
JP: Actually, a veterinarian!

Me: Last thing bought at the mall:
JP: A bottle of truffle oil at Oil and Vinegar and something pink at Victoria Secret. Okay, that all sounds a tad odd…

Me: Item on your grocery list:
JP: Diet ginger ale. Cascade detergent. Yes, boring.

Me: French fries or onion rings:
JP: O rings. Especially those really thin ones they make into an onion ring loaf.

Me: Pizza: New York or Chicago:
JP: Hands down, Chicago . Specifically, sausage pizza at Gino’s East (seriously – a blanket of sausage; it’s outrageous) and tomato, cheese and fresh garlic at Lou Malnati’s.

Me: Midnight Snack:
JP: Don’t usually have one, but if I did, it would be left over Chinese.

Me: Bookmark or dog ear:
JP: Shhh…. Dog ear.

Me: Read with dustjacket or remove it?
JP: Keep it on and use as bookmark so I don’t dog ear!

Me: Ocean, lake, desert, or mountain:
JP: Ocean

Me: Favorite book:
JP: If forced to pick one – A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle

Me: Item you can’t live without:
JP: My Chi flat iron.

Me: Who is your favorite writer that most people never heard of?
JP: Laurie Colwin, who died suddenly in 1992 of heart failure at only 48, in the middle of her career. She wrote amazing books and stories such as Shine on, Bright and Dangerous Object and “Happy All The Time.”

Me: What kid or teen books made a difference in your world growing up?
JP: My favorite mentioned above, A Wrinkle in Time really sparked my love of fantasy. And I did appreciate Judy Blume’s candor about sex in Forever. It was a revelation of a novel in some ways – a committed teen couple who had sex safely and later broke up and didn’t suffer because of it. I remember admiring her for putting that out there. I always felt it balanced out things like Scarlet Letter and that red A, which I hated in high school, but did actually enjoy in college because there was a sort of sly humor under there in spots.

Me: Where do you like to write your books (bed – coffee shop – an office?)
JP: I like working at Starbucks but usually I’m in my office I share with my husband.

Me: Describe your ideal place to write:
JP: Ideally, I’d be in a sparsely populated coffee shop. Realistically, I can write almost anywhere. And I have.

Me: What are you reading @ the moment?
JP: I’m finishing Sydney Salter’s debut YA, My Big Nose and other Natural Disasters. I’m really loving Jory Michaels!

Me: Where do you usually read?
JP: Outside on the back porch unless it’s too cold. As this is Texas , that rarely happens.

Me: Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time?
JP: Yes. My nightstand is packed.

Me: Do you read nonfiction in a different way than you read fiction?
JP: Yes! I often don’t read non-fiction in any linear order. I just flip around for awhile and find snippets I like.

Quick! Grab your copy of Dreaming Anastasia !

Go on over & show Joy some reader love @ Joy Preble!

The Book Resort is giving away a copy of Dreaming Anastasia here!