Squint to see WAYS TO BE WICKED in the Top 10!

Well, holy COW. Would you look at that. If you squint at my graphic down there (a screen shot), you can see that WAYS TO BE WICKED is already in the current Top 10 Historical Bestsellers at Barnes & Noble—#5 specifically— sandwiched between such esteemed ladies as Jo Beverley and Suzanne Enoch. I couldn't fit all 10 books into my screen shot, though I did give it the old college try in large part because Karleen Koen has a new book out and it was in the Top 10, too. Her Through a Glass Darkly played a big part in inspiring me to write historicals. I loved that book.) For today I'll overlook the fact that Ways to be Wicked is shipping several weeks, um, prematurely, and just savor seeing my October book in there with books that were out in August, and hope that when October rolls around it's still ably holding its own at bookstores everywhere! Wish me luck, kittens! If you've already read it (and I've heard from a few readers who have, because they ordered it from Amazon or B&N, and both stores have been sneakily trickling it out) let me know what you think if you feel like it.

So I'm planning to celebrate two bits of wonderful news at the beginning of October here at The Julie Chronicles, and Ways to be Wicked's release is one of those bits. :) I'll tell you more later!! Hee! (As my friend Toni pointed out a few days ago: You can tell I'm a writer, because I like to build suspense.)

Beautiful weather here today! Brilliant sunshine!! Hallelujah! I hope those of you who've been suffering from gray skies (and that seems to be pretty much everyone I know) are getting more sunshine today, too.   I need to take my cat outside for his constitutional, as he's yowling at me like he's being held prisoner, for crying out loud. (Well, come to think of it, he is wearing stripes.) If you're reading this weekend, what will you be reading? Any recommendations? I need to catch up on my stack of historicals, and I'm finishing up Blue Shoes and Happiness, by Alexander McCall Smith. I love his Botswana books. Whatever you do or read, hope your weekend is fabulous!

Comments

[Estella]

I am reading Even Vampires Get the Blues by Katie MacAlister.

[Julie Anne Long]

I haven't read much Katie MacAlister, Estella, but I know quite a few people who are fans of hers, so I'm curious! Have you read Michelle Rowen's books? Like BITTEN & SMITTEN? If you like Katie McCallister, you might like Michelle, too. Funny, sassy, really unique! I don't usually gravitate toward vampire books, but I liked hers a lot!

[Doris A.]

Julie, it's nice to see someone mention "Through a Glass Darkly." My copy is quite dog-eared from frequent readings. How I loved that book. I've shared it with my daughters, too. Does anyone else miss books that are that long and satisfying? The sequel was disappointing, however. Seemed like it could have used a more thorough edit. Karleen Koen's new book sounds wonderful, and I will definitely be reading it. Thanks for the reminder. And I'm eager for "Ways to be Wicked" to show up in my local Borders. They know me there.

[Diana]

Julie, congratulations on making the list. :)

It does look warmer today than yesterday. I was bundled up when I was out and about yesterday. I might step out for a bit today--haven't decided yet. I'm quite the homebody.

I'm currently reading Toni Blake's Swept Away and loving it so far. I'm the type of person who peeks at the end of books, so although I know what happens in the end, I'm still really eager to finish the book. :D

I've heard of Alexander McCall Smith. He also writes children's book. A former student gave me a children's book by Smith called Akimbo and the Elephants, which takes place in Africa.

Diana

[Ranurgis]

Actually, I'm trying to read at least two books simultaneously: the anthology "Men of Courage II" by Lori Foster, Donna Kauffman and Jill Shalvis and a manuscript which seems to be a contemporary romantic suspense. Starts well.

Should be starting a new pain med but am sort of leery. Has side effects to watch for and don't feel up to that hassle nor the exact timing of dosages. Right arm not good so telegram-style. Sorry.

A.M.Smith is Canadian? Have wanted to read some of his.

Aren't you glad this is short for once?

Congrats on list but it strings it out too much, doesn't it?

[Julie Anne Long]

Doris, I confess my own copy of THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY is dog-eared and limp and yellowed from being read at *least* a half dozen times. I, too, miss those long, satisfying, emotionally comprehensive books, in which the lives of many characters intersect and one or two of them might even die. LOL. Ah, well. I just learned that I *might* be getting Koen's new book for my birthday. :) I wouldn't mind a bit.

Diana—it's sunny but still wildly breezy here. In other words..warm in the direct sunlight, pretty bloody cold out of it. But any sunlight is a blessing, I tell you. I'm moving from room to room in the house to take advantage of little patches of it. I just follow the cat, because they have a knack for scoping out the sun. And I loved SWEPT AWAY, too. Toni does such a fabulous job of blending character development with the erotic elements of a story, in such a way that you just can't put it down. And Alexander McCall Smith is one prolific guy—I've been reading his Scotland series, too, which I think I might like even better than his Botswana series. He just has a wonderful gift for creating a sense of place...as a reader, you're just immersed. They're really very peaceful books, acutally, but so rich, and never dull. And you don't want to them to end.

Ranurgis—hope you start to feel a bit better! You sound like me....I almost never read one book at a time. :) Depends on how busy I am at a given moment.

I just recently introduced my sister to Carla Kelly, and she went hog wild (my sis did) and bought everything she could find by her. LOL. Carla Kelly tends to have that effect on historical readers, in general. :)

[Haven Rich]

Julie,

Congrats on the wonderful news. I told you it was a wonderful book hehe.

Anyhow, this weekend I'm reading Candice Hern's Just One Of Those Flings.

Have a wonderful weekend.

[Julie Anne Long]

Thanks for the congrats. :) And Haven, I bet you'll *love* FLINGS! It's quite wonderful!

And we're having more glorious weather today, so I'm working in between bouts of soaking up sunshine. Ahhhh...

[Diana]

Julie, you were right about the glorious weather today. I stepped out to go to the grocery store near my home, and I didn't have to wear a jacket. Amazing! :P

[Kathy K]

Congratulations on #5 Julie, that's terrific! And very illustrious company you're keeping as well; brava!

I've pretty much caught up on the books in my cupboard; my TBR's (to be read) go so fast that I am ALWAYS looking for new reads and I'm definitely adding the books mentioned above to my book list ~ I take it with me whenever I go hunting.

I love the humour in Katie MacAlister's books; she's another author that I get anything and everything that I can find; just as I do your books, Julie. And, unlike most of my other "collect everything" authors, I got started right at the get-go with THE RUNAWAY DUKE; love it! [both the book and catching the beginning ^.^]
Right now, the books that I have waiting to be read are Emilie Richards WEDDING RING and ENDLESS CHAIN and Barbara Freethy's LOVE WILL FIND A WAY. And last week I went through Suzanne Enoch's SOMETHING SINFUL, Cherry Adair's EDGE OF DARKNESS, Stephanie Bond's BODY MOVERS, Suzanne Brockmann's re-release of LADIES' MAN, Karen Hawkins' HER OFFICER AND GENTLEMAN, Christiane Heggan's WHERE TRUTH LIES and a few odds-and-ends that I keep around.
Reading is a great activity on these cold, wet days that we're still having; today there was SNOW mixed in with the rain... GACK! it's too early, even for Alberta; it's not unusual to have our winter set in around Halloween, but this is ridiculous! And it's cold enough to feel that this is it. It probably isn't but I usually NEVER feel the cold, and I'm the one that's been wearing sweaters and turning on the furnace. *shudder* Thank heaven for new books!

Once again, a high-five on #5. Way to go Julie!

Kathy

[Dena]

Congrats Julie on making the list. This weekend I'm reading Cherry Adair's Edge series.

[Julie Anne Long]

Diana—isn't it a weird feeling to go outside without a sweater?? I always feel a bit naked if I don't have one with me, because, as you know, the weather here can turn on a dime and it's seldom officially *warm*. But I just got back from lunch and a trip to the park, and...I only wore a little short-sleeved top! It's unbelievably gorgeous out. Yay!!

Wish we could export some of this weather to you, Kathy K! Snow??? YIKES. But I'm so glad you found my books, and that you're enjoying them. :) It's always such a pleasure to hear things like that! I like your list of TBR's; I've read some of them. Both you and Dena are reading Cherry Adair's books, which makes me want to read them, too. At the rate you read, it sounds like you'll plow through your whole stash in a week or so, though. LOL. Better stock up for winter! I plan to do the same thing, though I'll also be *writing* a book. Or Two. :)

And thanks for the congrats, everyone! Truthfully, I don't really know what it means in terms of just how many books have been sold, but it still makes me feel loved. LOL. And I wonder when I'll stop getting a kick out of showing up on lists among authors I've admired for so long. We authors have so few true measures of how well our books are doing at a given moment that showing up on lists of nearly *any* kind tends to thrill us. LOL. Hope we have good sales momentum going into October, too. I'm crossing fingers, toes, etc. :)