Virtual Goody Room

I'll be leaving for the Romantic Times Booklovers' Convention in Houston in a couple days, where Dorchester Publishing will be kicking off the Immortals series with a Rock and Roll Immortals Extravaganza on April 29th!

One big draw for romance readers at RT conventions is Promo Alley, where readers can pick up bookmarks and other freebies from their favorite authors -- and from new authors who might become their favorites.

But what about the readers who can't get to RT?

Where can they get some of the same freebies? Sure, you can email each individual author, send them a stamped self-addressed envelope, and receive a bookmark or bookplate in return. But that can get expensive.

There's a more cost effective option - I just found out about a fantastic website -- Leena's Goody Room. This is a virtual version of RT's Promo Alley. Authors send Leena a selection of bookmarks and other goodies.

Readers can send Leena a stamped envelope and get a variety of author goodies in return - all at once! The amount of goodies you receive depends on how big an envelope you send and how much postage you affix.

Send for your Goodies today! Stop by Leena's Goodie Room

Happy Reading...

Joy Nash
www.joynash.com

Thanks... and a reading suggestion

Thanks to all who emailed to wish my brother-in-law well. He woke from his coma after 6 days (huge relief!) and is making good, if slow, progress. He'll probably be in the hospital a while yet.

So go out and hug someone you love today - life is uncertain, as we all know just by reading the news, and no one ever knows when they are going to get a second chance.


On a lighter note, I have a reading suggestion...a classic this time. Lately my kids and I have been getting into read-out-loud mysteries. Our latest was an Agatha Christie that I never read during my Agatha Christie phase when I was a teenager. It's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. ("Wasn't he the guy in The Blues Brothers?" my kids wanted to know....no, kids, that was DAN Ackroyd!) Anyway, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was first published in 1927 and is considered the best of Agatha Christie's early works. (And oh, yeah, I did get that pic from Amazon - I don't think they'll mind.)

It's fantastic - very complicated and intricate. Agatha Christie is very sly and sarcastic, as always, and some scenes are a real hoot! And I'm not lying when I say that when we got to the end and found out who did it, all four of us screamed!

So if you like cozy mysteries, check it out! And here's a clue for American readers (nothing at all to do with the plot!) -- the "vegetable marrows" that Hercule Poirot is growing is his little garden and pitching over the wall onto his neighbor's head are more commonly known to us Yanks as...zucchini!

Later...

Joy Nash
www.joynash.com

Prayers needed

I'd like to request prayers for my brother-in-law, who had severe complications from surgery earlier in the week. His heart stopped and he had to be resuscitated; we thought we had lost him then. He was in a semi-coma for a day; now he's improved somewhat, but is still critical, fighting infection and experiencing a minor seizure.

If anyone is moved to send light, good thoughts and prayers to Rod, please do. I believe in the power of prayer, of all denominations and faiths, and would appreciate your support during this uncertain time for my family.

Thanks,

Joy

Kurt Vonnegut, RIP

Kurt Vonnegut, author of Slaughterhouse-Five and Cat's Cradle, died yesterday. Here's a link to his obituary bio on comcast.net:

Author Kurt Vonnegut Dies at 84

I read Vonnegut's work in the 1980s, and was absolutely struck by how poignant, insightful, witty, thought-provoking and different his books were. The world has lost a very great writer, and a very great man.

Until next Friday...

Joy Nash
www.joynash.com