Read an excerpt from Maya’s RITA finalist for Romantic Suspense, Hidden Away, Book 3 in her KGI series. Or learn more about the KGI series in Maya’s Connected Books page (lots of info there), or on Maya’s blog.

Read an excerpt from Grace’s RITA finalist for Regency Historical Romance, Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish, Book 3 in her Windham series. Or learn more about Sophie and the Windham family in Grace’s Bonus Materials for this book.

Read the first three chapters of Eloisa’s RITA finalist for Regency Historical Romance, When Beauty Tamed the Beast, one of Eloisa’s Fairy Tales. Or read Eloisa’s Inside Take to learn more about this story.

We’d also like to extend a big w00t to Friend-Of-Wax Stefanie Sloane for her double nod (double w00t) in both the Regency Historical Romance and Best First Book categories.

Four fabulous books, four fabulous authors. We feel privileged to work with you all on a regular basis.

p.s. And because we absolutely love it, we are again trotting out our favorite RITA story of when RWA Hall of Famer (then winning her second RITA) Julia Quinn experienced a wardrobe mishap, and was saved by a well-placed Autographed by the Author sticker.

©2012 Waxcreative Design Blog. All Rights Reserved.

NEW BOOKS:

MAYA BANKS released Wanted by Her Lost Love, the second installment in the Pregnancy and Passion series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Be sure to check Maya’s growing bonus page to see the downloadable goodies for this series and more.

GRACE BURROWES released The Virtuoso, the fourth installment in the Windham Series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Be sure to check out Graces’s new Windham Family Tree!

NICOLA CORNICK released Desired, the fifth book in the Scandalous Women of the Ton Series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Learn more about Desired with Nicola’s updated behind the book material!

STEPHANIE TYLER released SEAL of My Dreams, a charity anthology featuring the novella “Holding On,” set in the Hard to Hold world. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Stay tuned in December for an all new StephanieTyler.com!

NEW EXCERPTS:

JANE PORTER posted an excerpt from Not Fit for a King?, the first book in her upcoming royalty duo, due out in the United Kingdom on December 2 (as in tomorrow, yay!). It will be available in North America early next summer.

JACI BURTON posted an excerpt from A Rare Gift, the second book in the Kent Brothers series, to be released December 5. The novella will also be included in Holiday Kisses, an anthology will also be available on the same day and includes stories from three other authors.

ELOISA JAMES posted Chapter Two from The Duke is Mine, the third installment in her Fairy Tales series, due out on December 27. Eloisa also has a new excerpt for a ebook novella, Winning the Wallflower, due out December 6. And one more for Eloisa: a whole new site up for her upcoming memoir, Paris in Love, (due out April 17), along with a special excerpt.

LAURA LEE GUHRKE posted an excerpt from Trouble at the Wedding, the third installment in the Abandoned at the Altar, due out on December 27.

MAYA BANKS posted an excerpt from Whispers in the Dark, the fourth installment in the KGI series, due out on January 3, 2012.

RED GARNIER posted a special sneak peek excerpt from Legally Hot, an anthology with Lora Leigh and Cheyenne McCray, due out on January 3.

KATE NOBLE posted a special sneak peek excerpt from If I Fall, due out on April 3.

COMING VERY, VERY SOON:

Early December will bring releases from Eloisa James, Laura Lee Guhrke, Jaci Burton, Jennie Lucas, and Lori Foster– and more excerpts from Grace Burrowes, Pamela Palmer, Maya Banks, and Red Garnier. ‘Tis the season, indeed.

©2012 Waxcreative Design Blog. All Rights Reserved.

ROCKTOBER’s NEW BOOKS:

MICHAEL P. SPRADLIN released Jack & Jill Went Up to Kill: A Book of Zombie Nursery Rhymes, the latest zombie book from the makers of It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies and Every Zombie Eats Somebody Sometime. Also from Michael this month is Spy Goddess Book Three: The Spy Who Totally Had A Crush On Me, available for the first time in any format, and the paperback edition of The Youngest Templar: Orphan of Destiny, the third book in the Youngest Templar series. Phew. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Zombie Christmas cards. Yes, seriously.

MAYA BANKS and SYLVIA DAY released Men Out of Uniform.

MAYA BANKS also released Never Love a Highlander, the third and final installment in the McCabe Trilogy. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: New fun stuff on Maya’s site!

SYLVIA DAY also released A Touch of Crimson, the first installment of the Renegade Angels series, along with the anthology Steamlust. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Watch the Touch of Crimson trailer and check out all the book extras.

JACI BURTON released The Heart of a Killer, the first book in her new Killer series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Check out Jaci’s reading recommendations (thru Good Reads!).

PAMELA PALMER released Ecstasy Untamed, the sixth book in the Feral Warriors series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Pamela has a new Blog. Check it out!

DIANE GASTON released The Liberation of Miss Finch, a Harlequin Undone eStory. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Catch some Behind the Book info about why the change of setting from England to Tennessee.

MIA MARLOWE released My Lady Below Stairs. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Collectible Trading cards. Fun!

GRACE BURROWES released Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish, Book 4 of The Windhams,  AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: The whole of GraceBurrowes.com is BRAND NEW. We’re rather proud of it. Check it out!

MONICA MCCARTY released The Viper, the fourth installment in the Highland Guard series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Watch the trailer from The Viper.

STEPHANIE TYLER and released Night Moves, Book 4 in her Shadow Force series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Shadow Force specials. Yum.

LOIS FAYE DYER released A Coulter’s Christmas Proposal, the latest installment of the Big Sky Brothers series.

NEW AGAIN BOOKS:

SUSAN ANDERSEN released Present Danger, an Avon books reissue. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Updated Between the Covers Material.

LORI FOSTER released Buckhorn Beginnings, a reissue of Sawyer and Morgan’s stories in the Buckhorn Brothers Series.

NEW EXCERPTS:

KATHRYN CASKIE posted an expanded excerpt from A Sin in White, part of the Seven Deadly Sins series, due out any day now!

GRACE BURROWES posted a new excerpt from The Virtuoso, Book 3 of The Windhams, due out November 1.

MAYA BANKS posted a new excerpt from Wanted by Her Lost Love due out on November 8.

ELOISA JAMES posted Chapter One from The Duke is Mine, the third installment in the Eloisa’s Fairy Tales series, due out on December 27.

MIA MARLOWE posted an excerpt from Sins of a Highlander, due out on January 1, 2012

JACI BURTON posted a sneak peek excerpt from Taking A Shot, the third book in her Play-by-Play series, due in stores March 2012.

COMING VERY, VERY SOON:

Early November will bring more excerpts from Eloisa James, Maya Banks, Laura Lee Guhrke, Red Garnier, and more.

©2012 Waxcreative Design Blog. All Rights Reserved.

For the writer

When you give someone your bookmark, you’re making a connection. Even if the interested party doesn’t buy your book, and even if that person isn’t even your fan (yet) and just dropped by your table for a piece of the chocolate you have out, or perhaps the roll of shiny gold Autographed by the Author stickers sitting in front of you caught her eye, or maybe she was just walking by but you said “Hi” — even then, if you hand that person a bookmark, you’re sending her (or him) home with something with your name on it. Even better, it’s something that will get used, or at least seen again, even if just by getting tucked into a book on the nightstand’s to-read stack, or simply by looking too pretty to throw away immediately (as so many do), it might get tossed in with a pile of mail, or onto a desk, or into a purse — some place where it will be seen again.

Also, think of all the times you have met someone in line at a supermarket, or on the plane, or in a restaurant where the tables are quite close together and the kids are spilling over. When you carry some bookmarks on you, you can hand this newly-met person a bookmark. Now you know that this branded reminder of you and your book has gone home with this potential reader.

And when they visit your website they’ll already feel comfortable because it’s in the same design as the bookmark you gave them. Hopefully that comfort will carry them through clicking on your order links!

Check out some other reasons to love bookmarks!

1. It does everything a business card does, but better.
2. Remember the preschool adage: “Books are our friends”? Well, that’s still true, even now that we are all grown up. Be nice to your book. A bookmark can help.
3. They’re cheaply printed and easily changeable.
4. Bookmarks actually help you read.

©2012 Waxcreative Design Blog. All Rights Reserved.

This month’s NEW BOOKS:

It’s a Maya one-two month! MAYA BANKS released not one but two books: a first and a second. Enticed by His Forgotten Lover, Book One in Maya’s Pregnancy and Passion series. She also released Book Two of the McCabe Trilogy, Seduction of a Highland Lass. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Trailers, ecards, and more! Be sure to check Maya’s new Fun Stuff page for series-related goodies.

NEW AGAIN BOOKS:

LAURA LEE GUHRKE rereleased Conor’s Way, Prelude to Heaven, To Dream Again, and The Seduction.

Originally released in print from 1994 through 1997, Laura has brought back her first four novels in digital format (for the first time) with gorgeous new covers — and lovely low download prices.

JENNIE LUCAS’s classic Italian Prince, Wedlocked Wife, originally published in 2009, locked in a second life in the UK anthology Revenge, Secrets & Seduction.

NEW EXCERPTS:

MAYA BANKS and SYLVIA DAY each posted excerpts from their novellas in the anthology Men Out of Uniform, due out on October 4. Read the excerpt from Maya’s story on Maya Banks’ site, and check out Sylvia’s excerpt on Sylvia Day’s site for more steamy action!

SYLVIA DAY also posted a new excerpt from A Touch of Crimson, the first installment in the Renegade Angels series, due out on October 4.

MAYA BANKS also posted a new excerpt from Never Love a Highlander, the third installment in the McCabe Trilogy, due out on October 25.

NICOLA CORNICK puts up a new excerpt for Desired, part of the Scandalous Women of the Ton series, due in stores November 29.

LAURA LEE GUHRKE posted a sneak peek excerpt from Trouble at the Wedding, the third installment in the Abandoned at the Altar series, due out on December 27.

ELOISA JAMES posted a sneak peek excerpt from The Duke is Mine, the third installment in the Eloisa’s Fairy Tales series, due out on December 27.

COMING VERY, VERY SOON:

Early October will bring releases from Kathryn Caskie, Diane Gaston, Susan Andersen, Stephanie Tyler — and more excerpts from Eloisa James, Maya Banks, and more.

©2012 Waxcreative Design Blog. All Rights Reserved.

This month’s NEW BOOKS:

MAYA BANKS released In Bed with a Highlander, Book One of the McCabe Trilogy. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Maya’s got a brand new Fun Stuff Page. The video is hilarious.

JACI BURTON released Changing the Game, Book Two in her Play-by-Play series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Updated Character Lists and Series Overview in Connected Books. Helpful.

NICOLA CORNICK released Mistress by Midnight in the United Kingdom. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Refer to the Newly Updated Fenner Family Tree. I love family trees — and this one was a little complicated — the best kind.

SYLVIA DAY released Seven Years to Sin, a beautiful historical. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: A great new Foreign editions page.

DIANE GASTON released Valiant Soldier, Beautiful Enemy, Book Three in Diane’s Three Soldiers Series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Get insight into some seriously disturbing sporting stuff from the period in Diane’s Behind the Book feature.

JENNIE LUCAS’s never-before-published novella The Count’s Secret Child was released in the anthology The Secret Baby Scandal this month. It was also published in the anthology Blackmail & Secrets in the United Kingdom. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: A couple of brand new pretty ordering icons unveiled on Jennie’s site for the UK. (I am thinking the Duchess of Cambridge is appreciative.).

JANE PORTER released A Dark Sicilian Secret. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Book extras of research on Sicily and Jane’s travel photos in Taormina, Sicily and Mt. Etna, Sicily’s volcano. (And look to Jane’s blog for exciting news this month!)

STEPHANIE TYLER released In the Air Tonight, Book 3 in the Shadow Force series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Updated Character Lists and soundtracks. Did I mention this kind of thing was helpful?

NEW AGAIN BOOKS:

MAYA BANKS rereleased Long Road Home, originally published in 2007 under the name Sharon Long. The book has been re-edited and revised with a lovely new cover treatment.

LORI FOSTER rereleased Bad Boys of Summer, originally released as a 2006 Kensington anthology now with a brilliant new cover.

JENNIE LUCAS’s classic Caretti’s Forced Bride, originally published in 2008, got a second life in the UK anthology Mistresses & Marriages.

NEW EXCERPTS:

MAYA BANKS posted an excerpt from Seduction of a Highland Lass, Book Two in the McCabe Trilogy, due in stores September 27. Maya also posted an excerpt from Enticed by His Forgotten Lover, Book One in the Pregnancy and Passion series, due in stores September 13.

MIA MARLOWE posted an excerpt from A Duke for All Seasons, due for ebook release in mid-September.

DIANE GASTON posted an excerpt from The Liberation of Miss Finch, her upcoming Harlequin Historical Undone eStory, due in stores October 1.

STEPHANIE TYLER posted an excerpt from Night Moves, the fourth installment in the Shadow Force series, due in stores October 4.

SYLVIA DAY posted a sneak peek excerpt from A Touch of Crimson, the first installment in the Renegade Angels series, due in stores October 4.

JACI BURTON posted an excerpt from The Heart of a Killer, the first book in The Killer series, due in stores October 25.

PAMELA PALMER posted a new sneak peek from Ecstasy Untamed, the sixth book in the Feral Warriors series, due in stores October 25.

COMING VERY, VERY SOON:

Early September will bring releases from Laura Lee Guhrke, Jennie Lucas, and a new excerpt from Eloisa James.

©2012 Waxcreative Design Blog. All Rights Reserved.

You read by habit. Your eyes have muscle memory for what you usually read. If you’re used to Twitter, neither War and Peace nor Harry Potter will come easily. This is not because Twitter made you stupid or less intellectual (although there are those who will passionately argue that point), but because you’re in the habit of skimming and of learning all you need to know in a 140-characters-or-less glean. If you’re used to War and Peace, Twitter is going to be a challenge– but not because you’re too erudite for society! You, too, are missing some muscles.

Bookmarks are a great way to keep yourself steadily reading something you’re not used to. The bookmark underlines one line of text and all you’re responsible for is reading that line. Move it down, read the next line. You won’t skim and you won’t read so slowly that you suddenly realize you’re thinking about your laundry, or the boy in the carrel two rows over. All students should have bookmarks for this reason precisely.

Yes, we love bookmarks.

-=-=-=-

Check out some other reasons to love bookmarks!

1. It does everything a business card does, but better.
2. Remember the preschool adage: “Books are our friends”? Well, that’s still true, even now that we are all grown up. Be nice to your book. A bookmark can help.
3. They’re cheaply printed and easily changeable.

©2012 Waxcreative Design Blog. All Rights Reserved.

This month’s NEW BOOKS:

NICOLA CORNICK released Notorious in North America, Book 4 in the Scandalous Women of the Ton series, and One Wicked Sin in the UK, Book 2 in the Scandalous Women of the Ton series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Pride and Prejudice influenced this story — read Nicola’s Behind the Book to hear how.

SUSAN ANDERSEN released Playing Dirty, book three in her Sisterhood Diaries Trilogy. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: See the most awesome hairdo ever — Susan in an authentic beehive. Awesome.

JENNIE LUCAS released Forgotten Daughter in the UK. The book will be released in North America as The Girl That Love Forgot in January. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: This book of Jennie’s is part of a larger continuity — find all about it through this More About The Story link.

MIA MARLOWE released “A Knack for Trouble“, a novella in the new anthology Improper Gentlemen. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Romance Trading Cards for you!

NEW AGAIN BOOKS:

SUSANNA CARR is rereleasing her novella In the Pink, which was featured in the anthology Pink Ice (2006). The novella is now a free read! Read In the Pink online on Susanna’s all new website.

LORI FOSTER came out with an ebook version of her novella, Luring Lucy, which was featured in the anthologies Hot and Bothered (2001) and Real Men Last all Night (2009). I love when old favorites come back.

DIANE GASTON released Regency Improprieties, a double-the-reading-pleasure book containing both Innocence and Impropriety and The Vanishing Viscountess . Doubly good.

And both JULIA QUINN and ELOISA JAMES saw old favorites of theirs: The Duke and I and Duchess in Love, respectively, get assigned a deeply discounted price for ebook format — limited time only, folks.

NEW EXCERPTS:

MAYA BANKS posted an excerpt from Long Road Home. Long Road Home is a reissue of a book originally published in 2007 under the name Sharon Long. The book has been re-edited and revised with new cover treatment. This book will release simultaneously in ebook and in trade paperback format next week, August 2.

SYLVIA DAY is having a sneak peek summer special! New sneak peek excerpts from Seven Years to Sin and A Touch of Crimson are now available. Sylvia’s next release and next Historical, Seven Years to Sin, will be available August 30. A Touch of Crimson is the first installment of the Renegade Angels trilogy and is due out on October 4.

DIANE GASTON posted an excerpt from Valiant Soldier, Beautiful Enemy, book three in her Three Soldiers series. Look for it at the end of August.

JENNIE LUCAS posted an excerpt from the upcoming UK anthology, Blackmail & Secrets, due out in mid-August, which features her never-before-published novella, The Count’s Secret Child. The novella will also be published in North America in an anthology titled The Secret Baby Scandal this September.

MONICA MCCARTY posted a sneak peek excerpt from The Viper, Book Four of the Highland Guard series, due out on October 18.

PAMELA PALMER posted a sneak peek excerpt from Ecstasy Untamed, the next in her wildly popular Feral Warriors series. Look for it to be out on October 25.

COMING VERY, VERY SOON:

Early August will bring releases from Jennie Lucas, Jane Porter, Lori Foster, Stephanie Tyler, Maya Banks, and Jaci Burton and new excerpts from Sylvia Day, Maya Banks, and more.

©2012 Waxcreative Design Blog. All Rights Reserved.

and

And for UK editions:

And finally, we created a couple of publisher icons because they didn’t have their own:

And we made these, too, for GoodReads and LibraryThing: Please tell us if you use these, or if you see them — leave urls in the comments. We’d love to watch some Wax get spread around. Enjoy!

©2012 Waxcreative Design Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Reporting in from New York (RWA) on this month’s NEW BOOKS:

JULIA QUINN released Just Like Heaven, Book 1 in the Smythe-Smith Quartet, which is already a NY Times Bestseller, and #1 on the Publishers Weekly list! AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Check out the dedications to each of JQ’s books… some of them are downright hilarious. This one made me laugh out loud.

LORI FOSTER and SYLVIA DAY released The Promise of Love. ALL AROUND BONUS: The authors are donating all of their proceeds from The Promise of Love to One Way Farm, a charitable organization.

LORI FOSTER released Savor the Danger, Book 3 in the Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor Series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Lori Foster’s got an app. Do a quick search on iTunes and see the site in a whole new mobile way.

NICOLA CORNICK released Whisper of Scandal in the UK, Book 1 in the Scandalous Women of the Ton series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Get the story of Nicola getting trapped in the Arctic and Whisper of Scandal coming out of it in Behind the Book.

NEW EXCERPTS:

SUSAN ANDERSEN posted an excerpt from Playing Dirty due out on July 26.

NICOLA CORNICK posted an excerpt from Notorious, due out on July 26.

MIA MARLOWE posted an excerpt from Improper Gentlemen due out on July 26.

JACI BURTON posted an excerpt from Changing the Game, due out on August 2.

STEPHANIE TYLER posted an excerpts from In the Air Tonight, due out on July 26. Stephanie also posted a sneak peek excerpt from Night Moves, due out in September.

COMING VERY, VERY SOON:

Early July will bring releases from Jennie Lucas and Diane Gaston, excerpts from Jane Porter, and Diane Gaston, and new sneak peek excerpts from Sylvia Day, Pamela Palmer, and Eloisa James!

©2012 Waxcreative Design Blog. All Rights Reserved.