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Susanna here, for my regular third Friday post. 

An Infamous Marriageis my third published book, and I’ve been thinking lately about how much my life has and hasn’t changed in the two years and change since The Sergeant’s Lady came out.



On the surface, my world doesn’t look that different. I’m still not at a point where I’d feel safe in quitting my day job, so Monday through Friday, 8:00 to 5:00, I’m focused on the glamorous world of academic research administration.

My coworkers all know I write, though sometimes they seem surprised that I’m still at it. It’s as if they think that after a book or two, I would’ve gotten the writing urge out of my system.

I’m confident in saying that won’t happen. I started writing at age 8–a highly derivative tale of talking horses in a Narnia-like fantasy world–and I look forward to many more years of storytelling.

What has changed is that now I have two careers. I thought I was treating writing as a career before I sold, but it goes to a different level once you add all the business aspects of being an author. Contracts, royalties, tax records, promoting your new release while you work on edits for your next contracted book and simultaneously draft the book after that, etc. I love it, but I’d never claim it’s easy. I sometimes joke that Mr. Fraser and I form a three-career household.

Since I’m still in the middle of my blog tour, commenters on this post can enter my grand prize contest. At the end of the tour, on December 6, I’ll be giving away a $50 gift certificate to their choice of Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Powell’s Books to one commenter on the tour as a whole. You get one entry per blog tour stop you comment upon, so check out my blog for the whole schedule!

Over to you. Let me know what you think of the cover or of romances involving the Battle of Waterloo, or tell me what’s keeping you busy these days. If you wish to be entered in the drawing, include your email address formatted as yourname AT yourhost DOT com.

Hi, all! Susanna here, filling in for Elena who’s recuperating from the flu.

When Elena asked if I could post today, my first thought was to talk about my New Year’s resolutions. But when I checked out the blog and saw that would make three resolutions posts in a row, I decided to instead talk about my favorite reads from the past year. Granted, there have been several such posts recently, but I don’t think there’s much overlap in our lists, so here goes.

Note that few of them are 2012 releases. Except in a few cases, e.g. a new book by a favorite author in a series I love, I don’t always make it a priority to read books immediately after release.

Favorite Historical Romance (New)

My Fair Concubine, by Jeannie Lin (2012). My Fair Lady in Tang Dynasty China, and my favorite of Lin’s books to date.

Favorite Historical Romance (Old But Now Available as an Ebook)

The Wives of Bowie Stone, by Maggie Osborne (1994). The hero is the most heroic and admirable bigamist you’ll ever meet.

Favorite Contemporary Romance 

Doukakis’s Apprentice, by Sarah Morgan (2011). I’m not usually a Harlequin Presents reader–I’m just not into wildly rich, wildly alpha heroes outside of SF or history, and even then I want them to be extra-awesome, brave, honorable, and brainy–we’re talking Aral Vorkosigan or the Duke of Wellington here. But I’ve enjoyed Morgan’s medical romances, and this book came so highly recommended that I tried it anyway. And I’m glad I did, hence its placement on this list.

Favorite YA Romance/Debut Book Catching Jordan

Catching Jordan, by Miranda Kenneally (2011). Just a well-written book all around, and I could tell Kenneally thoroughly knows and loves her some football.

Wildly Popular Book That Actually Didn’t Disappoint Me

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins (2008). No need to say more, since I figure y’all have already heard of this one…

Favorite Mystery Discovered Randomly When I Heard Its Author Interviewed on NPR

Bruno, Chief of Police, by Martin Walker (2009). Lovely, leisurely-paced mystery that will make you wish yourself in France.

Favorite New Entries in Long-Running Series

Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance, by Lois McMaster Bujold (2012). A lovely science fiction romance, albeit one that I doubt would have the same impact for readers lacking a long history with the characters and their world. Those readers should go grab Shards of Honor or The Warrior’s Apprentice and start building that history!

The Scottish Prisoner, by Diana Gabaldon (2012). I really appreciate how Gabaldon writes soldiers. Jamie Fraser and John Grey remind me of the officers in my family and the ones I meet in my historical research, which unfortunately isn’t always the case in my reading, whether in romance or other genres.

Most Useful Psychology/Self-Help Book

The Willpower Instinctby Kelly McGonigal (2011). Explains why it’s so hard to change and ways you can make it easier.

Best Food for My Inner History Geek

Moscow 1812, by Adam Zamoyski (2004). Gripping tale of Napoleon’s invasion and retreat. Mosco 1812

Guest of Honor, by Deborah Davis (2012). Race relations 100 years ago viewed through the lens of Teddy Roosevelt and Booker T Washington.

1493, by Charles C. Mann (2011). A history of the Columbian exchange and how it altered the course of the world in the past 500 years.

The Worst Hard Time, by Timothy Egan (2006). If you watched Ken Burns’ The Dust Bowl and want to learn more, go here.

Have you read any of my favorites? What books are you looking forward to for 2013?

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