Sunday Salon: The One in Which I've Read Little and Met An Author

It is my husband's fault. Or maybe that woman's at the office. Whomever it was, I ended up sick in bed most of last week. I imagine my workmates who suffered me all Monday appreciated my thoughtfulness, however belated. You would think that would be the perfect opportunity to escape into a book. Not me though. I ended up sleeping most of the time, a blob under the blankets with my two cats and dog nestled in beside me, or else curled up under the afghan on the couch. I remember now why I never much cared for daytime television.

I am still feeling a bit under the weather, although much better than I was. I felt almost human again on Friday. I managed to get out of the house for a bit and realized that maybe one more day in bed wouldn't have been a bad thing. I did not get any reading done that day either though. My new laptop arrived in the mail and, well, like with any new electronic device that enters my home, I had to test it out and personalize it.

Like any good husband whose wife is a bit book obsessed, Anjin didn't make too big of a fuss when I begged him to take me to Borders on Saturday. I had a 40% off coupon after all. Can't let that go to waste. When we arrived, there was a sign on the door advertising a book signing in progress. That big groan you might have heard was, in fact, my husband's. I didn't help matters by pointing out the poster said the book being signed was a thriller, a book that I was sure to want to check out.

After discovering the book I wanted wasn't anywhere to be found and doing my usual reconnaissance of the signing area, I made me way over to the author's table. Stephen Tremp is very tall (at least compared to my 5 feet) and extremely pleasant. We talked about book signings and meeting authors, including his recent opportunity to meet Dean Koontz, one of his writing inspirations. He also told me more about his book and his writing process. He took a couple of years off from work to research and write his book. He draws a lot on his own experiences in writing his novels. His current book, Breakthrough, is the first in a trilogy.

While I may not have found the book I was looking for, I did not walk out of the store empty handed. Stephen Tremp was kind enough to sign a copy of his new book for me, and so I was able to use that coupon after all. Did any new-to-you books enter your home this past week?

Anjin is participating in NaNoWriMo this year. For those who may not know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, in which writers all around the globe hunker down to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November. I have noticed that some people put a lot of preparation into getting ready for the event, outlining, developing characters and such. while others just jump right in with no set plans. Are you participating in this year's NaNoWriMo? Do you have a plan going in or prefer to wing it? Best of luck to everyone who is taking part in the event this year!

Enough of this bookish chatter. I need to spend some quality time reading. Maybe now I can make a good dent in Jennifer Fallon's Lion of Senet. The novel has gotten off to a good start. It is set on a planet with two suns, where the rulers use fear and religion to control the people and maintain their power. Only, some of the people are not so accepting and begin to question what they are being told to believe.

How are you spending your Sunday? Are you reading anything interesting at the moment? I hope you all have a great week. Happy Reading!

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